Chicago’s own three-piece musical sensation, Dehd, has released a resounding trash pop powerhouse of an album in Poetry, out now via Fat Possum Records.
Buzzing basslines open ‘Mood Ring’ before confidently slamming into the shimmering daydream vocals of Emily Kempf. Ushering us into a glowing, feel-good track celebrating love, being smitten, and how wonderful that bond can be. As steady guitar, balanced drums, and more vocals join in for the chorus, ‘Mood Ring’ further solidifies itself as an outstanding, uplifting track to pull out for dramatic serenades of your partner.
I love a good dash of tambourine and ‘Pure Gold’ is chock full of it. An emotional surf-pop ballad that acts as a romantic conversation between the singers, this song oozes a zest only indie artists can provide. ‘Pure Gold’ feels like a sun-drenched summer day, vibrant and luminous. A perfect addition to love song playlists.
‘Alien’ is a gorgeous, stand-alone track on Poetry about an outsider finding themselves. Acoustically fuelled, this song feels raw and exposed while simultaneously leading us to the light at the end of the tunnel where empowerment awaits. The vocal layering creates a complimentary accompaniment augmenting the supportive vibe ‘Alien’ provides.
“This is about me being otherworldly, an artist of light, an angel, an alien or maybe some sort of faerie creature and wanting to find someone like me in this world, someone of my kind. Longing for this special person that’s as special as me to come around for me to love, but instead always coming to the same conclusion that I am fated to be a sort of loner hermit person with 1000 friends and that loving myself is the most important and rewarding thing I can consistently work on and do forever.”
-Emily Kempf
‘Shake’ is a track tinged with soreness and vocals that ring out through gritted teeth. A pang is prominently felt as the song rapidly builds to an anxious rush and the words shift to fluttering yelps. Getting over it, pushing through, ‘Shake’ sharply presents the colossal effort it can take to do just that. An anguished urgency laces the melody that makes ‘Shake’ an extremely cathartic listening experience. If you want to blow off some steam, ‘Shake’ is the track for you.
‘Dist. B’ is a reverb-infused track about swirling restless energies, miscommunications, and coming out the other side. The instrumentals maintain a stable rhythm until the end explodes in sliding twangs of buzzing guitar and bass. In just over two minutes, ‘Dist. B’ packs a punch for the sensitives out there when things get overwhelming. There’s hope for us yet, we just have to let it in.
Dehd’s Poetry is an album of heartfelt jangle-pop mixed with such richness that it gives the LP a life of its own. The tempos remain lively even through the intense tracks, making each song a catchy bop you’ll eagerly revisit.
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