Gus Dapperton Charms Us Again With New Single ‘Wet Cement’
Photo by Todd Diemer on Unsplash.
Two years ago we were in the middle of shutdowns and uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I was working from home at a job that kept me miserable and severely underpaid, I was recovering from an awful break up and just lost my entire friend group because of it. I was isolated, depressed and was looking for things to keep me going. I had just started this music blog that summer and released this article about Gus Dapperton’s hit, ‘Post Humorous.’
That blog still comes up on page one of Google for the song, and I’ve been getting consistent traffic from that one piece alone since then. Part of me is grateful people are finding me and stumbling upon this wild project I sometimes struggle to maintain, part of me is annoyed that it's the only work they’re discovering. I’ve written blog after blog about awesome local bands, and still the one I did about Dapperton is the sole feature people are heading to.
Then, I went to catch up on what good ol’ Gus has been up to. I try to swoop in on up-and-coming artists before they go big, so I’ve fallen off the Benee-Gus Dapperton-Indie/Bedroom Pop train for a minute. I started to remember why I loved the genre so much though upon listening to ‘Wet Cement,’ and it brought back all the good memories of the dreaded summer of 2020 – the Shutdown Summer.
Dapperton’s song ‘Post Humorous’ couldn’t have come out at a better time – we were all afraid and cooped up in our homes, not knowing what the future would bring. Amid the stress and worry, Dapperton’s silvery, melodic vocals and characteristic synths gave us warmth and comfort when all hope seemed lost. His music brought us together, even if it was through a phone screen. It was also a crazy time of self-discovery for me as I embarked on my healing journey, away from the world and influence of others in quarantine. Whenever I listen to him now, I can’t help but remember roller skating in the park before my shifts, blasting his music under the hot desert sun.
Dapperton’s newest single, ‘Wet Cement,’ still carries his signature indie pop style, but there’s something about it that shows growth and maturity. It’s very clear in between his album ‘Orca,’ ‘Palms,’ and various singles up until now, his music has evolved from obscure yet charming retro pieces with puzzling lyrics to more polished, carefully crafted tracks with depth and cohesive structure of well-written songs. Even compared to his earlier work with ‘Prune, You Talk Funny,’ ‘Coax & Botany’ and ‘World Class Cinema,’ which are all great tracks in their own right, Dapperton’s pieces just don’t feel quite as messy, which I will admit is a distinction a lot of indie musicians have from other genres.
‘Wet Cement’ starts off with tranquil strings and Dapperton’s essential dreamy, wispy vocals, setting a scene that reminds me of reading a book next to a rainy windowsill. There’s always a pang of nostalgia in his songs, and I’m still trying to figure out if it’s his lyrics that paint such a vivid picture, or if it’s the unified sound of his work from track to track. This latest single reminds me a lot of ‘Fill Me Up Anthem,’ with a tempo that takes its time, hanging on every word, almost waltzing through the stanzas and choruses. When Gus sings, “Back when it was wet cement / Pressed against our fingertips / Why would I wait for it to dry?” you can almost feel the clay on your hands, etching names and dates as a permanent reminder that – you were here.
The alternative artist said on his Instagram that this was his first original release in two years, and that he was uninspired during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I sat around waiting for inspiration to hit and at times I thought it would never come again,” Dapperton said. “...Finally, I fully let go, and it hit me like a ton of bricks.”
Dapperton went on to state ‘Wet Cement’ is about the uncertainty of life, and battling the chaos of a changing, dynamic world. Sometimes, routine is what may be best for people, and that sentiment is clear when he sings, “Cold nights, cold feet / When I’m on a hot streak / Tall ask, tall feat.” As someone who’s been uninspired for a long time for various reasons, I feel like this song is one of his most relatable, especially as we all navigate a post-virus world. Decisiveness feels difficult and things just aren’t the same as they were before. ‘Wet Cement’ is the testament to that, that the environment we once knew is just like the numbers dried into the concrete.
All in all, I won’t say this is my favorite art from Gus Dapperton, but it feels right for how this year has been. It hasn’t been a walk in the park, in fact it’s probably been one of the worst years since 2020. But with so many musicians like Dapperton reviving their energy to create again, and new friendships yet to be formed, I have faith that in the months to come, we will see our former glory resurrected. We’ll write again, we’ll paint again, we’ll dance again – and we’ll leave the past behind us, like the handprints on the sidewalk.
To listen to Gus Dapperton, visit his Spotify profile here.
