Del Water Gap Pens One of His Most Powerful Tracks in His Deluxe Album
Del Water Gap’s “Purple Teeth, The Bravery” is a new single that surfaced on the deluxe version of his sophomore album I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet. The title of the song describes a hazy night of regret where all that’s left when the sun comes up are the wine stains on his lips. How one flash-pan instant of boldness is often met with the spins and a headache that lingers well into the afternoon. Del Water Gap wonders if it’s really all worth it on this track, especially when our liquid courage is often used against us.
The carnival-reminiscent notes of piano, silky production, and haunting bass lines that diffuse like smoke immerse us in a dark fantasy on “Purple Teeth, The Bravery.” Del Water Gap’s vocals continue to be visceral, tender, and evocative, allowing him to keep hitting the nail on the head of such abstract concepts. He sings, “When I tell you I love you, it’s not an attack / But purple teeth, you’re killing me / You treat me so unkind.” The melodies are sticky like honey that draws flies. Del Water Gap is speaking to the darker corners of being human and we can’t help but relate.
Never has ambiguity been such a specific feeling. “Maybe you’re searching for the love of your life / Or you’re just searching for someone to fight,” he croons. Del Water Gap writes about the emotions that compel us through young adulthood. Yearning, anger, and a lack of purpose, all of which reach their peak on this masterful track.
"'Purple Teeth, The Bravery' is one of my favorite songs I’ve written," shares Del Water Gap. "It has a special place for me. It fell into my lap a few months back. I was thinking about a night I had with someone I used to know. It’s a story about having enough red wine that you suddenly get all brave, and you're spinning and pushing yourself around and saying a lot of shit you’ve been holding on to and hurting over. And you sleep it off and you wake up in the morning and you can’t really remember what all you said, but you look in the mirror and your teeth are still purple from the night before and just like that the guilt starts creeping in. The ground hog day of hurting and burying the hatchet, bottling up and boiling over again and again."
Del Water Gap’s newly released deluxe edition of I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet features additional new tracks including “Midas” and a live version of “Doll House.” “Purple Teeth, The Bravery” is a complex portrait of Del Water Gap and his poignant pen, never once does it shy away from the discomfort of what's come before and what's to follow.
Listen to I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet (Deluxe) below:
