GOSHEN, Ind. — Each week, a Globe-pal (AKA a DJ at 91.1 the Globe) takes a song of their choosing, and dishes out a healthy review to be sent out and posted on globeradio.org/music.
The Globe Track of the Week is an excellent way to keep up with the new tunes presented weekly on 91.1 the Globe, the best college radio station in Indiana.
Devon Gilfillain, a singer-songwriter well known for his eccentric combination of musical genres, has once again created a soulful, yet upbeat masterpiece with “All I Really Wanna Do,” the lead single off of his most recent album, “Love You Anyway.”
If you look back through Gilfillain’s discography, you would easily find elements of R&B, soul, blues, indie rock and much more throughout his work. “All I Really Wanna Do” is no exception to this, combining a groovy, R&B-esque bassline with smooth vocals and subtle synthesizers throughout the song.
While the instrumental is fairly consistent and unwavering in regards to individual instruments, the intensity of each instrument varies from time-to-time, evoking emotion at all the right times. The instrumental becomes more soothing near the end of the song, right before it peaks as Gilfillain sings the chorus for one last time.
In my mind, Gilfillain has created the perfect summer anthem. I can visualize myself listening to this on a late-night drive home or while taking a mid-afternoon walk in the park.
Gillfillain’s melodic vocals add another element to this upbeat anthem.
“All I Really Wanna Do” opens with a catchy hook, with Gilfillain singing “All I really wanna do is take a little trip with you.” The chorus repeats four times throughout the song, with little adlibs popping up, almost unnoticeably, in the background as the lyrics repeat for a third and fourth time.
Throughout the song and leading into each chorus, Gilfillain sings about how he would “like to get to know” the person that he’s singing to. The lyrics describe a “spot beyond the moon” that he swears is “worth the wait.” He later asks the person for their star sign, singing “Aries, Pisces, Scorpio, Leo, Libra, Gemini. Which is yours? You let me know.”
While these lyrics allude to the person of interest being a lover, I also interpret Gilfillain’s storytelling as getting away from the busyness of everyday life with somebody he cares about to experience something extraordinary.
The official music video for the song conveys both aspects, Gilfillain’s character meeting up with an alien-esque girl in a cafe, in which he later takes her “up and over the stars.” The music video provides trippy art that pairs well with the instrumentals in the song.
Regardless of how you interpret the song, I would highly recommend those who are unfamiliar with Devon Gilfillain’s work to check out “All I Really Wanna Do,” as well as his various other tracks.
The full album, “Love You Anyway,” is out now.
