Still Woozy Woos Listeners with Debut EP “Lately”

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Staff Writer

As the spring season draws to an end, Bay Area musician Still Woozy has called an end to the two-year wait for his debut EP “Lately,” which was released May 3 to the delight of his fans.

Containing five tracks, “Lately” maintains a theme of youthful energy that Still Woozy embodies through his soft vocals and quirky use of guitar.

Still Woozy, whose real name is Sven Gamsky, graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz and started producing music in his garage in Oakland, California in 2015. He decided to pursue a musical career after discovering his passion for music production and eventually formed a band called Feed Me Jack with fellow students.

His fourth single “Goodie Bag” transformed him into a one-hit-wonder among bedroom pop and indie music fans in 2017, leaving them craving a full album. Thus far, “Goodie Bag” has had 32 million plays on Spotify and approximately three million views on YouTube.

Despite “Lately” containing one of his pre-released singles, “Habit,” Still Woozy incorporates multiple musical and experimental elements of surprise in his other four new tracks: “Lava,” “Ipanema,” “Foolsong,” and “Maybe She.” Even with unconventional genre-mixing, Still Woozy sticks to his original style of singing to help bring a sense of familiarity to his fans who are used to his songs that heavily rely on dreamy vocals and trance-like vocal layering.

“Lava” starts the EP off on a soft note as Still Woozy croons about feelings of puppy love for his girlfriend, Amiya, and tells her “I’m looking up” and “I haven’t left you.” The well-planned usage of pauses and gentle guitar and drums help to convey his affection for his lover and woo listeners as well.

“Ipanema” is a collaborative track that features Omar Apollo and Elujay and includes a verse from Omar Apollo solely in Spanish, which serves as an homage to his Latinx fans. Filled with tropical influences and jazzy elements, “Ipanema” beckons to listeners with its bossa nova style, which you can almost imagine listening to in a coffee shop on a peaceful afternoon.

One of his original singles, “Habit,” maintains a constant groove and funky vibe throughout the song that compels people to sway and follow the infectious beat. With its repetition of “You could be my habit,” the song describes Still Woozy’s natural attraction toward his lover and inability to leave her.

Slow and subtle, “Foolsong” contains Still Woozy’s confession that he “needs [her] more than weed,” symbolizing a sense of sacrifice and level of addiction he has for his loved one. The last track on the album, “Maybe She,” helps end the album with a sense of mystery and happy confusion as Still Woozy expresses his desire to match the romantic pace of his partner by respecting her decision to take things slow.

Still Woozy’s “Lately” sends a message of reassurance and comfort to young fans who struggle to understand romance.”Lately” lets his listeners know that it’s okay to not have life figured out. His ability to convey this support through his music helps add depth to his self-produced tracks and allows his fans to look forward to the possibility of future innovative, indie tracks.

A long awaited album, “Lately” is out and now available on SoundCloud, Spotify, and YouTube. After having performed at this year’s Coachella, Still Woozy plans to take to the stage with Dingwalls at Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen in London, UK on May 13. If American fans hope to catch one of his shows, he will hit the stage at Fonda Theatre in Hollywood on Oct. 2. Overall, Still Woozy portrays a real, natural side of youth in America with his music and song lyrics that center on raw love and foolish mistakes.

Author’s recommended song:“Habit”