Written by Erika Nissen
Following the release of their debut EP “Back to Sleep” in early 2019, New Jersey surf-influenced garage rock band Cheyenne Dan is back with their most cohesive work yet. If it’s not interesting enough that they’re four college kids who have a fun social media presence and occasionally sell hand-embroidered merch, the six-track EP “Butterflies” is sure to catch your attention with both its eclectic sound, incorporating colorful instrumentals, and vulnerable songwriting, focused on the struggles of growing up.
The title track “Butterflies” was first released as a single back in August, and is my personal favorite from the EP. The line “Butterflies in my stomach gonna make me puke / I’m too old to be this confused” encapsulates an overarching theme of adolescence within this EP.
When looking into the lyrics, lead singer Jonah Malvey tells a relatable story throughout these six songs about the complexity of growing up and anxiety surrounding things like relationships. Something really special about Cheyenne Dan is their use of interesting lines. such as “I’m afraid of the death of my fish”, which make you do a bit of a double-take when you first hear them; the balance between both humorous and vulnerable songwriting is something I love about this group.
The next single, “High in Bed” which came out in September. is a song about self-reflection that once again brings a vulnerability and relatability that leaves you feeling understood. The lyrics discuss someone who is struggling and wants to get “high in bed” and forget about all their problems.
This frustration is met with the line “Every hour of every day / Sometimes I think I’m going insane / I don’t think I’m ever gonna get the hang of this”. Once again, the aspect of making music while being in college has come in handy for songwriters Jonah Malvey and Dylan Lembo, as it feels like they’re reading the mind of every young adult in each of these songs.
Things get a little bit more upbeat (contrary to the title) with “I Hope You Cry”, which was originally released in 2019. One of the first phrases, “I haven’t felt the connection with another human being in a couple of years / So this feels weird” is something that I think we can all relate to right now, even though the song was released last year.
This track is all about feeling vengeful towards someone who has hurt you, and hoping that they’re feeling just as much pain as you are. As always with Cheyenne Dan, though some of the lyrics are fairly sad, they’re met with lighthearted lines such as “I’ll spend all my money on stupid things like Starbucks coffee / At least it gets me out of the house”.
Such unique and honest songwriting really makes you feel like you get to know the band through this release. Coupled with a lively guitar solo, this one is definitely a standout on the EP.
When listening to the EP for the first time, I wasn’t really expecting a track like “Watching TV”, and yet it feels like it fits in perfectly. With heartwrenching lines like “And I didn’t feel a thing / Until I had to watch her leave”, this is definitely the saddest sounding song on “Butterflies”.
I really think all of these songs belong in a coming-of-age movie, but especially this one. The vulnerable vocals and absolutely beautiful instrumental had me ready to cry during my first listen.
The recurring phrase in the chorus, “I’ll get drunk while watching TV”, continues the theme of being a young adult and wanting to forget about all of your problems. This song will definitely be on my playlist next time I’m having a bad night and I think a lot of people will be able to connect with it.
The next track on the EP is an acoustic version of “Butterflies”. There isn’t much to say other than that somehow the vocals sound even more vulnerable in this version of the title-track. This song is truly so unique and has so much character to it. I love the irony of the line “I wish I learned to play guitar” on top of an acoustic guitar.
The EP ends with the demo version of “I Hope You Cry”. I love how raw their vocals sound in this track, and how you’re really able to hear how the song evolved from the demo to the final version that ended up on this release. In a very fitting fashion, the EP ends with the instrumentals fading out.
The way that Cheyenne Dan makes the listener feel understood through their music is something that I cannot stress enough. The music speaks for itself and it’s evident that this band has put their heart and soul into this release; it definitely deserves some of your time.
“Butterflies” is available to stream wherever you listen to music, and you can support Cheyenne Dan by following them on Instagram @cheyennedan_nj and subscribing to their Patreon for exclusive content!
Have you listened to Cheyenne Dan’s new EP “Butterflies” yet? What do you think of it? Let us know by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw!
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