Independent

Release Date: October 5th 2022

Reviewed by: Joshua Andre

Echosmith– Gelato (Single) (Amazon mp3/iTunes)

Track Listing:

1. Gelato

With the catastrophe of 2020 and 2021 (and the first half of 2022) that is now firmly and well and truly behind us- and hopefully, there will be indeed better days throughout the rest of 2022 (here’s hoping and praying that COVID-19 waves won’t be this ongoing and recurring thing!); what shall we all aspire to be and what shall we aim for in the near future, in every aspect of our lives? It’s a question that I’m sure will grip the hearts of many, as we look into the mirror and take stock of our entire lives. We’ve all made it through the past few years, albeit with a few bumps and bruises (literal and metaphorical!); and so we all technically have a new lease on life. What shall we do with it, you ask? Well, according to indie rock sibling trio Echosmith, you have to be intentional about being present in the present, and just being there with your friends, family and the people you deem the closest in your lives.

Echo-what? You ask. I know, I know, the trio of Sydney, Noah and Graham Sierota still aren’t popular nor famous my any stretch of the imagination; but no time is better than the present, to dive in deep to an artist that is new or new-ish, right? I first heard of Echosmith when lead singer Sydney sang guest vocals on one of the many versions of For King And Country’s mega-hit “God Only Knows”. The result was one of my favourite duets in recent memory, and I just knew that once I heard the track that I needed to check out who Sydney was as a singer and who Echosmith was. After some digging and some more digging, I found out the heart of the band and some songs online- and let me tell you, they are definitely a band to watch out for in the future. No doubt these guys will be plenty influential in the future (but that’s for another post in the Momentous Mondays’ blog series of up-and-coming artists who we deem to be influential within the upcoming months and years!); and if you want to read more about my thoughts on their latest full length album Lonely Generation, you can read the review here. But as this is a new year, let’s dive into something new from the band. A while ago, I spoke about their new song “Hang Around”- a 3-minute alternative/rock/indie melody where Sydney describes the beginning stages of a relationship and what she hopes the other person will want to do- as in spend time with her. This past week, Echosmith unveiled their latest single “Gelato”; and boy, let me tell you, this melody is relatable and relevant to… probably I’m sure everyone on this planet.

On the surface a fun, poppy, breezy and not particularly deep melody; Echosmith have delivered a rather introspective song about having fun and living in the moment. “Gelato” speaks about how at times we all feel like we should be dwelling and pondering about the uncertain future; and if we’re not doing that, then we should be reminiscing about the good times of our past. However, the band relay that too much of thinking about the past and the future can be unhealthy; and that sometimes it’s best to just cherish the moment you’re in right now. Being with friends, family, just simply enjoying the day; these are things that we all take for granted because we’re scrolling through our phones, and we’re worried about our social media and the number of ‘friends’ we have. Yet simply just living in the moment- it’s not something that we should prioritise all the time, but living in the moment occasionally can be healing, therapeutic and possibly life-changing. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves, and we think that we need to have life sorted out right now. That’s not the case though… and Echosmith remind us that sometimes when you least expect it, when you are having fun- that’s when inspiration can occur and that’s when you can have epiphanies.

Is it premature to say that Echosmith are on their way to becoming new next Switchfoot? Not to put pressure on them, but their songs on Lonely Generation and also the previous two singles, makes me think of the songwriting calibre of Jon Foreman, Switchfoot lead vocalist. So, take that what you will, and let me say that Sydney, Noah, and Graham deserve all the praise and all the accolades- Lonely Generation is flawless in my opinion, and these two singles from their unnamed third album are superb as well. Nothing more needs to be said- so hop to it everyone! Jesus speaks through music- even through mainstream music; and Echosmith’s discography is proof of that!

It’s [“Gelato”] about how we are all going through a lot, and we have a lot on our minds. I struggle a lot with feeling present. I find myself romanticizing the past or worrying about what might happen tomorrow. This song encompasses that feeling of ‘we do feel that way and that’s real, but let’s take a moment to be here right now and choose to be okay without knowing about tomorrow.’ Sometimes, you need a break from overthinking and overanalyzing and your bills and loans and all those things we struggle with. Sometimes, you need a break from that or life can be too exhausting. It’s about being present with the people you are with and deciding to choose to that.

[My marriage] has been a huge rock for me throughout the whole pandemic and the ups and downs that have come with it. Everything was so inconsistent, but my marriage was so consistent. That was helpful for me, of course. There are songs that will come out next that capture that feeling of despair. You have to capture that stuff too. I have always loved melancholy songs, which is funny because I’m very bubbly by nature. Something about that melancholy feeling has always spoken to me. These past few years have been really challenging, but I’ve seen more growth for myself than I ever have. It meant a lot of work and a lot of tears.

Score: 4.5/5

RIYL: Colony House, Brooke Fraser, For All Seasons, Rachel Platten, Ellie Goulding, Paramore, Avril Lavigne, The New Respects, Switchfoot