Photo by Erica Snyder (album cover art)
The first time I ever listened to Del Water Gap was my sophomore year of high school. This was before he had released any albums, instead only having a few EPs and singles out. His song, “Let’s Pretend” popped up on my Discover Weekly and ever since then I was hooked. If you have not heard of him, S. Holden Jaffe, professionally known as Del Water Gap, is an indie-pop artist from Brooklyn, New York, whose music, as he describes in his Spotify biography, is inspired by “romantic encounters and dimly lit rooms” — which I feel is a perfect way to define his discography. Although Del Water Gap is a smaller artist, I believe his second album, “I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet” (2023), released on Sept. 29, will put him on the radar even more.
Del Water Gap is currently a solo project, but it initially consisted of Jaffe and his friend and fellow musician, Maggie Rogers, though she was only a part of the band for six months. As a solo artist, he began to gain widespread attention after releasing “Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat” in 2020, because it was posted on social media by actresses Margaret Qualley and Kaitlyn Dever. This song was catchy yet unique, relatable, vulnerable and romantic – as most of his discography is.
For those who have never listened to Del Water Gap, I would say the sound of his current music has some similarities to The 1975 and Harry Styles. Which is unsurprising, considering “I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet” was produced by Sammy Witte, the same producer of “Harry’s House” (2022). However, I wouldn’t reduce his music to how similar it is to other popular artists. In a way, he’s in his own realm, and his newest album proves this. He opens up and gives listeners more insight into himself and his struggles. While his self-titled debut album was great, it didn’t have the same amount of vulnerability as his newest release and even EPs before his debut. His lyricism has always been earnest and poetic, but I believe this album revealed a whole new introspective side of Del Water Gap.
“I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet” leans more into indie-pop, at least compared to, for example, his EP “1 (646) 943 2672” (2017), which I feel had more of an indie-rock sound. Despite this, his newest album doesn’t sound any less authentic although it is more upbeat. Nonetheless, I am not ashamed to admit I loved the old vibe of his music, and I do miss it, but I still appreciate the direction he is going in. If anything, I would recommend listening to his earlier stuff before checking out his recent album. I feel that in order to fully understand the progression of his discography and artistry, you have to start from the beginning. As I’ve mentioned, this album has more emotional vulnerability than his self-titled debut, yet his earlier projects still reveal so much more about him. Take for example his EP “Don’t Get Dark” (2019) which, simply based on lyrics, is incredibly raw and honest. On the other hand, he does the same on his newest album but in a different way.
The charm of Del Water Gap, compared to other musicians, is that a lot of his lyricism is hyper-specific and deeply emotional. It seems that he sings about real experiences and feelings, yet his songs can still resonate with listeners. It’s refreshing being able to relate to a musician in one way or another, and to see yourself in some of the lyrics. Of course, despite the emotion coursing through every one of his songs, it wouldn’t be a Del Water Gap song without at least a little bit of suggestive and racy language. But I think that’s additionally what makes his music memorable and unique — for listeners, the small quips add an element of surprise to the songs.
While I enjoyed his new album overall, my favorite songs would have to be “Losing You,” “NFU,” “Gemini,” “Glitter & Honey” and “Coping On Unemployment.” Even though these songs shared some similarities to his previous self-titled album, I still loved them. On the other hand, songs like “Beach House” and “Glitter & Honey” add something entirely new to his discography — something he hasn’t done before. I like that he experimented with the production of these songs. It keeps things interesting but still doesn’t completely stray away from what fans know as the classic “Del Water Gap” sound.
Although I enjoyed Del Water Gap’s new album, and think that it will gain him some more popularity, I wouldn’t say this album is my favorite of his. As previously mentioned, I do prefer his earlier stuff. Still, I love the route he’s going. I would absolutely recommend this album — and his music in general — to anyone who likes indie-pop and/or Harry Styles. There are some obvious production similarities between him and Styles, which is why I say this, but the way they present themselves and their music is a lot different. Compared to Styles, Jaffe has a darker, gloomier aesthetic.
I was able to see Del Water Gap live in early 2022, and it was an amazing concert. Not only did he sound good live, but he also put on a great, stimulating performance. He played his hits but also some deep cuts, which I thoroughly enjoyed. He performed “Love Song For Lady Earth,” which is one of my favorite songs by him, and I have to say it’s one of the best performances I’ve seen live. He just recently released tour dates for “I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet,” so if you like his music, or just want to see someone new live, I’d recommend grabbing tickets to a Del Water Gap show!
Ava Werner is a third-year Psychology major with a minor in Women’s & Gender Studies. AW973732@wcupa.edu.