May just turned into June, which means that for some inexplicable reason, the Los Angeles sky is more frequently overcast than it has been in months. It is honestly a welcome dose of gloom that gives me a legitimate reason to try and listen to sun-dappled pop for the sake of contrast–the same reason that I gravitated toward R&B during the winter months when I lived in the snowy Midwest.

“Drag”, by up-and-coming songwriter Day Wave, fills that void by contrasting shimmering guitar arpeggiations with bummed-out lyrics (“hold me back–I don’t want to be a drag”). Though its not necessarily happy music, it is more interesting than banal summertime pop due to its seeming contradiction. It sort of reminds me of those cloudy days that are still excessively bright. The style reminds me very specifically of Wild Nothing‘s first album, and it is extremely promising indie pop from a new face.