SYML Announces Self-Titled Debut LP, Drops Haunting Track “The Bird”

Mike Wass | February 19, 2019 7:37 pm
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SYML (real name Brian Fennell) was one of last year’s breakout stars courtesy of the eerie “Where’s My Love.” The sparse ballad went viral, racking up more than 150 million accumulated streams on Spotify. It even spawned a club remake. Since then, the Seattle-based singer/songwriter has dabbled in weird and wonderful electro (“WDWGILY”) and ’80s-referencing synth-pop (the brilliant “Clean Eyes”). An album is long overdue at this point — an oversight the 36-year-old will remedy on May 3.

“I didn’t think SYML would grow to a place where a full album would be needed or wanted,” the humble hitmaker says of his self-titled debut LP. “I had just planned to write and release singles. In some ways it feels easier and cleaner to have disjointed meanings in songs. But somewhere buried between trying to be an extrovert and an introvert is who I am as both a person and artist. All of these songs were written in this same place. Feelings like joy, hurt, fear, unknown, and peace aren’t simple, but they are familiar to everyone, which makes it feel safe to be honest about them.”

Given the singles (as well as previous buzz tracks like “Girl” and “Wildfire”), it’s safe to say that SYML is going to be an eclectic collection of songs. And “The Bird” adds more weight to that theory. The recently-released track finds the rising star at his most poetic. “Trying to love or even understand someone with all of their beautiful flaws and intricacies, while we cope with our own, is not easy,” he says of the song. “It is as delicate and cold as it is proud and belligerent. ‘The Bird’ represents this surreal dance.” Listen below.

SYML’s self-titled debut LP tracklist:

1. Clean Eyes

2. Wildfire

3. Bed

4. Where’s My Love

5. Break Free

6. Animal

7. The Bird

8. Girl

9. Connor

10. WDWGILY

11. Everything All At Once

12. Before You Knew It was Me

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