Sleepy Dream Pop: a Review of “I’m Tired all the Time” by Community Towel
Fuzzy bass and twinkling xylophone tuck in this velvety dream-pop track.
Warm bass and Nico Baci’s gentle voice welcome the listener into “I’m Tired all the Time,” a sweet and sullen tune by Community Towel. A combination of heavy vocal delay and drums that drag ever so slightly gives the song a feeling of being somewhere between waking and dream states. A dark room. A familiar blanket.
Community Towel knows how to do a simple song well. Everything has its place and dovetails together to create something altogether sonically pleasing. The glittery xylophone breaks bring in a sleepy breath of cold air beneath a blanket of phasey guitars and warm bass. The excellent production is what makes this song a stand-out among other dream pop/bedroom pop songs. Though certainly reminiscent of lo-fi recordings, “I’m Tired all the Time” has gorgeous clarity and plays with contrasting elements in a way that still feels fresh after multiple listens. The production choices are similar to the ones made on Gerard Way’s solo album, “Hesitant Alien,” and I love how Community Towel invokes that same sense of fuzziness and nostalgia without treading too far into the static zone.
The lyrical content is meditative and careful. I found myself particularly drawn to the line “my bed’s adhesive/folds in and creases/my phone is dead but my head’s still ringing.” As someone who has taken many a depression nap and felt trapped by exhaustion, this line brilliantly showcases a familiar feeling in unembellished language. Simplicity and frankness keep the song light.
“I Feel Tired all the Time” is an excellent, simple tune and you should go add it to your sad playlists right now.
You can listen to “I Feel Tired all the Time” on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/track/7HQA3KNva3l4BaTwfLSwQ3?si=_7iaPUInSc6HqCkmQkUfXw&nd=1
Check out Community Towel’s Bandcamp here: https://communitytowel.bandcamp.com/track/im-tired-all-the-time
