Some songs hit different depending on when you find them. I stumbled across “I’m on the Upside” by Vinyl Floor on a grey kind of afternoon and it genuinely shifted something. Not in a big way. Just the way a good song can make the day feel slightly more like yours again.
The Copenhagen brothers behind this project have been at it for nearly two decades now, and the new single feels like the work of people who stopped trying to impress anyone a long time ago. That is meant as a compliment. There is a looseness to the whole thing, a warmth in the production from Emil Isaksson and Daniel Pedersen, that makes it feel like it was recorded by people who were actually enjoying themselves. Søren Vestergaard’s mix is clean without being cold, which is exactly the right call for a track this full of personality.
Daniel Pedersen singing from behind the kit is a detail that matters more than it might seem. His voice has the kind of matter of fact quality that makes you trust what he is saying. He is not selling you anything. He is just talking, and the vocal harmonies that come in around him give the song a richness that feels classic without being nostalgic in a hollow way. You can hear the 1960s and 70s British rock they clearly grew up on, but it never feels like they are dressing up in someone else’s clothes.
The lyrics are about curiosity and finding your own place in the world without needing anyone else to validate it. There is a quiet confidence in that idea, and the song captures it without ever turning preachy or self congratulatory. It just feels honest.
With “Balancing Act” due at the end of February, “I’m on the Upside” has set expectations high. If the rest of the album sits anywhere close to this, it is going to be one worth clearing time for.