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Photo: Darren Ankenman

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Daniel Seavey has released his highly-anticipated full-length solo debut album, Second Wind. Across twelve tracks, Seavey pulls inspiration from ultimate early-aughts pop-rock inspirations while exuding an engaging sound that captivates and immerses the listener. His optimistic warmth and introspective lyrics, coupled with his ultimate creative freedom, create a musical journey that is both captivating and engaging.

"Second Wind is about a boy desperately clinging on to his youth while life is trying to force him to grow up. It's a very light, warm, and slightly introspective album," shared Seavey. "A 'glass half full' sort of vibe. When I made this album, I was going through a very hard time in life for a multitude of reasons. I noticed the second I started making happier songs, my perspective also started to shift outside of the studio. I started becoming optimistic again. I started hearing 'little me' in my music again, and I loved that about it."

The album's titular opener is a vibrant explosion of sound, a deliciously abstract pop microcosm that mesmerizes with its infectiously choppy beats, dopamine-drenched melodies, and effortless notes of guitar that elevate Seavey's vocals to the surface. His voice's power and emphasis on hope are palpable, captivating the listener with Seavey's refusal to give up, igniting a sense of energy and excitement. Seavey writes an ode to retrospection, realizing that, in hindsight, sometimes our obstacles are the greatest motivation.

Seavey realizes just how fast life goes by on the standout track "The Older You Get." He commentates on friends drifting apart, family dynamics changing, and childhood moments becoming long-lost memories. He begins to wish he "could've been 16 forever," crooning to the ether, "'Cause you know your favorite band ain't getting back together / And the nights you don't remember are the nights that you'll never forget / Guess that's what happens the older you get."

While you can feel Seavey's anguish and profound loss on tracks like "Sleeping With The Lights On" and hear him wrestle with betrayal and hurt, bordering on anger, in songs like "You Let Me Down," he strips down the production and deals with one of his most personal losses on the piano ballad "If I Ever Get To Heaven." Here, Seavey is forced to face the loss of his friend and Australian social media influencer Corey La Barrie, who passed away in a car crash in May 2020. As the rising star's vocals tremble with vulnerability, you can hear the heartbreak pour out of him as he shares everything he wants to ask them, such as, "...if I ever get to Heaven," "...how do you make a snowflake? / Are you angry when the earthquakes? … And why can't you stop a car from crashing?"

In the Second Wind's finale, "Other People," Seavey learns the hard truth that love can fade and run its course no matter how hard you try or how much time or effort you invest in someone. Despite clinging to dear life to what he's lost, he learns to let go and accept that not everything is meant to be. He faces his struggles with dignity, strength, and resilience, ultimately accepting that "you know it's over when it's over." By the end of the track, and therefore the LP, he deals with the bittersweet truth that, despite all efforts, you must move on to capture that "second wind" and set sail.

Listen to Second Wind below: