As I sat at the desk in my shitty college apartment during the god-awful hours of the morning continuing to procrastinate on the roughly twelve hours worth of partial differential equations homework I had to complete, I found myself having yet another existential crisis. You know, the kind of moment when you take a step back and wonder, “What the hell am I doing with my life?” For me, these usually come from instances that make me painfully aware of the fact that I am indeed getting older with little to show for it, like watching kids cooking championships on Food Network and realizing that these five- and six-year-olds can flambé better than Gordon Ramsey, all the while scanning over my own pitiful attempt at a stir fry. The latest came from reading up on Jeff Draco and learning that I am in fact the same age as someone who has supported various distinguished bands for the past eight years, toured the east coast, played the coveted Firefly Music Festival, and — as if that wasn’t enough — put out one of the best releases of 2019 with his latest EP, 2101.

Maryland-based Jeff Gilman has been writing and recording songs under the moniker Jeff Draco since 2018, with 2101 coming in the wake of several singles and the 2018 LP Paradise. This latest release sees Draco, a singer-songwriter wise beyond his years, reaching a new level of sonic maturity. While Draco’s previous works carried a slight rawness that bore witness to his garage-rock roots with STRANGER and The Dune Flowers, 2101 brings a more modernized sound that deftly blends dream pop and surf rock, combining the atmospheric, laissez-faire attitude of Mac DeMarco and the angular disco-infused sensibilities of The Growlers. The result: a collection of six indie-pop bangers that anyone can get behind. It’s no coincidence that I instinctively suggest personal favorites “For Too Long” and “Nothing Left to Say” whenever asked for music recommendations.

The real genius behind 2101, however, lies in that it smartly avoids the deficiencies that befall the vast majority of EPs. By nature, an EP is a less-formalized compilation than your standard full-length album and accordingly many play like motley assortments of leftover recordings haphazardly thrown together at the last minute. Yet, in 2101 there is a decided cohesion throughout that follows a logical progression. Every song fits into the lyrical narrative and any disparate, black-sheep singles have been shed. Beneath the catchy, infectious choruses and danceable melodies, the EP reflects on a past relationship with a clarity brought only by hindsight. The opening “For Too Long” depicts the event that served as the impetus for the nostalgic tracks comprising the body of 2101: a run-in with an ex who wants to get back together (“I know you want me back / And I could give you that / It just don’t feel the same”). Nearly fifteen minutes and four tracks later, after speculating about various aspects of the failed relationship, Draco finds himself in a state of greater confusion, left with more questions than answers on the natural closer “Get You” (“So how am I supposed to sleep at night when all I can think of is you / And I wake up in the morning and check my phone just to see that nothing came through / You said you were busy, but girl I know you were out with somebody new”).

As such, this latest EP demonstrates Jeff Draco’s compositional brilliance, placing him at the forefront of contemporary pop.

The six tracks in 2101 fill a unique role in that they are individually robust enough to stand alone as singles, yet simultaneously coalesce into a dynamic tour de force when played together. As such, this latest EP demonstrates Jeff Draco’s compositional brilliance, placing him at the forefront of contemporary pop. Draco stands as a pioneering figure, demonstrating that a back-to-basics approach built on thematic, visceral lyricism and technical excellence can triumph over the basic, confining formulae that has plagued the genre for decades.

Writer: Zack Holden