Recommended Tracks: “2 thousand 10,” “Sunlight!,” “Wash Away”
Artists You Might Like: Thomas Day, Caleb Hearn, Noah Henderson
If you are familiar with pop music from the past 20 years, then you will be quick to find a connection between Hey There Elijah, the new EP from elijah woods, and “Hey There Delilah,” the wildly successful 2005 hit from pop-rock band Plain White T’s. Both have very similar titles, sure, but there are also themes in the two that are shared. From love to nostalgia to growing up, Hey There Elijah mirrors various themes on “Hey There Delilah,” but instead of focusing on a burgeoning love story between a long-distance couple, the EP focuses on the most transformative moments in Elijah’s life that have turned him into the person he is today. So, move aside “Hey There Delilah,” it’s time for Hey There Elijah.
The beginning of Hey There Elijah plays out like a dream, with the vibrant “Elijah Wood” and the wistful “2 thousand 10.” Opening the project, “Elijah Wood” is an ethereal intro, its fluid lines and melodies drifting along before taking on a giddy pop-rock groove. While it is a relaxing listen on the surface, the lyrics give way to the panic building up underneath. Elijah sings, “Hey there, Elijah / Would you try to / Hide the guy you are inside you? / Would you bite your tongue / And just shut up and sing?” which leads him to ask, “I’m on top of the world or is it on top of me?” The following “2 thousand 10” transforms the panic into a desire to go back in time, when the days were not as stress-inducing. It’s a nostalgic anthem, complete with summery beats and dynamic choruses. We get brought “back to the end of summer two thousand ten” with Elijah when he was “young, dumb, and in love,” making us all wish to relive the days of our youth.
Elijah makes a couple more requests on the middle of the EP, starting with “We Should Stick Together.” A caring and compassionate track, it acknowledges the comfort of being with someone until the end of time. The lively synth-pop feel of the production keeps the song light against the serious lyrics, however, as Elijah sings, “When it’s snowing, when it rains / When the sun burns out on a July day / If the ocean ever dries / If the stars come falling from the sky.” In the end, he just wants to know, “Would you freak out if I say that we should stick together?” The mood shifts on “Sunlight!” though, as Elijah focuses more on what’s best for himself. It has a similar vibe to the opening track, touching on feelings of doubt and worry. Here, Elijah is looking for an answer, looking for validation with lines like, “I don’t wanna be around you anymore / I don’t know what I’m doing, what I’m waiting for” and “Running out of air, but I won’t take a breath / ‘Cause I don’t wanna fade away.” In the end, we hope that he finds his sunlight.
As we make our way to the end of Hey There Elijah, we are given two more moments that round out Elijah’s story. The bitter “January Eyes” resurrects the cold and lonely elements of not only the month of January but also of a falling out. It’s a little vague, with Elijah singing, “I can’t break the ice / Between you and I” and “There’s nothing really left to say / The words are written on your face / And I see it now.” We don’t fully understand what happened, but the acoustic guitar and the somber vocals imply that this was a heavy ordeal. The project then closes with “Wash Away,” a descriptive track that is filled with imagery that fills the senses. Along to the driving groove that moves the track, Elijah sings, “Jelly and burnt toast / House on the Gold Coast / Nobody home / Crew sweater / Sepia tone / Cool weather,” concocting a blissful escape. Before long, though, this bliss is punctuated by dramatic downbeats and rhythms that threaten to “wash away” this scene. Elijah continues, “Digging a hole / Watching the dust settle” and “I watched you wash away,” setting us up for whatever comes next in the next chapter of his journey.
About Hey There Elijah, Elijah shared, “It’s a blend of emotions tied to turning 30, introspective lyrics about love, and personal stories capturing everything I’ve been through in the last few years. Ultimately, this EP is my quest for maturity.” With these songs, listeners will feel the ‘blend of emotions’ that Elijah mentions, whether it’s the fear found on “Elijah Wood,” the compassion felt on “We Should Stick Together,” or the heartbreak on “January Eyes.” After taking in these songs, these moments, it is clear that Elijah has set out on a quest for maturity, and fans will gather that it is not a simple, straightforward quest. Still, the quest is interesting and meaningful, one that will inspire a future singer-songwriter to create their own ‘Hey There’ project in the next 20 years.
You can listen to Hey There Elijah on platforms like Spotify, SoundCloud, and Apple Music.
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