As our days get shorter and seasonal affective disorder starts to rear its head, RUDEY has offered up a scintillating remedy to the winter blues in his second release “Waste Your Breath.”
The oscillating keys that sit front and center for the first ten seconds draw you in, making the opening glittery and crisp, almost replicating the sensation of walking out on brisk early winter morning. The keys coexist for a brief second with an underlying, almost ambient noise filter that draws my mind to the crackle of firewood and brings instant warmth to the soundscape. The balance of these two elements feels like a brief oasis from the cold.
A filtered kick pattern and synth grow together and build anticipation until RUDEY kicks into gear and the production seamlessly transitions from a laidback ambient track into one that combines that original idea with that of a glittery vaporwave-esque dance track.
The vocals are thoughtfully pitched and filtered, making some of the lyrics difficult to discern in moments. Despite this, however, the lyrics that shine through sound like a heartfelt excerpts from a journal entry or vulnerable messages to a lover. RUDEY sings “are you gonna take a chance on me,” with a warm delivery that can be heard even through all of the stunning vocal processing.
RUDEY exhibits absolute mastery of both composition and production as he glides through multiple sections of his track, constantly introducing new elements and melodies while repurposing and reimplementing others to keep his audience on their toes. The syncopated beat transforms completely from section to section but these major shifts are seamless and nearly undetectable.
It’s impossible to explain how the track feels both warm and cold, danceable and ambient, gritty and smooth, stimulating and meditative all at once, but RUDEY has proven that it’s not a fluke, but a signature, present on his debut “Grip” and again with “Waste Your Breath.”
This track would most definitely be best enjoyed on a cold morning stroll, in a look that mirrors that of RUDEY’s on the cover art. Bundle up, head out to clear your head, and let this track warm you from the inside out:
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