Dawson Fuss Turns a House Into a Home in ‘ARCHITECTURE’
Dawson Fuss. Photo by Dorien Jimenez via Jalen Fertig.
Where some artists set out to build extravagant, thematic worlds with their music, Dawson Fuss wants to build a house with his.
The 21-year-old Santa Barbara native has been independently releasing desire-infused bedroom pop music since 2021 and his latest EP, ARCHITECTURE, is his most mature body of work yet. Exploring the metaphor of constructing romance, Dawson said the EP is an ode to his architect boyfriend and “a testament to how important it is to have a strong foundation in any kind of relationship.”
With alternative pop melodies reminiscent of acts like Del Water Gap, ARCHITECTURE feels like a nuanced conversation with friends; whether its in heavy full band chorus entrances or airy verses that shine like light reflecting off water, there’s a palpable sense of exposure throughout the EP. But Dawson welcomes it, his lyrics penned with sincerity.
Opening with the metronomic beep of a truck backing up and the metallic clank of a jackhammer, “GET ME” immediately keeps the EP from existing within a neat bubble. There’s a loaded yet restrained energy to the first track, with its delayed drums entrance and slow, distorted guitar strums. Complete with gang vocals chanting, “only ‘cause you get me,” the song’s narrative about the initial spark of a relationship feels like sitting in a circle with your closest friends for a post-first-date debrief.
Every piece of architecture needs a blue print, hence the track “PLANS,” which acts as a masterclass in building tension without overloading the soundscape. Starting as an acoustic waltz, Dawson sings of wanting the mundane domesticity that comes with being someone’s lifelong partner, like fighting over what color house to buy and waiting up in bed for each other. By the bridge, when Dawson’s story feels embedded into reality, the daydream unravels; the strumming becomes more intense, backing harmonies enter and counter melodies seep through the texture, as if the thoughts of “I want it, I need it” are all consuming. The tension is finally released and the fantasy washes away when a full band at last accompanies Dawson to carry the song to its end.
Watch the music video for “GUT FEELING” on YouTube.
Tracks like “OHMYGOD” and “GUT FEELING” are the more load-bearing ones on the EP, displaying darker production and harnessing harsher emotions. The curtain drops after the former’s fuzzy intro, giving way to a straight rocker. “OHMYGOD” checks all the boxes of an early 2000s emo hit, with descending chromatic chord progressions, an abundance of drum fills and a dense sound overall that thrashes about the ears while listening. “Love like an addict / Can’t leave you alone / I’m just an animal under my clothes / Kissing you slow,” Dawson sings in the first verse, the steamy lyrics matching the sonic energy and fitting into the EP’s love story.
While “GUT FEELING” is indeed heavier, it carries its weight with less ease. Its unhurried tempo, plaintive guitar riffs and pounding choruses make the track laborious to its core. Dealing blows and double meanings, he croons in the chorus, “I got a gut feeling / You’re not happy that I’m leaving / You can say it’s not like that / But I got a gut feeling.”
If ARCHITECTURE is a house, then “QUESTION” is the room where Dawson feels most at home. His mid-range voice floats easily over the glimmering indie rock production of Bully Berg, laden with distant finger picking, atmospheric synths and engineered breakbeats. Set in the head-over-heels enamored stage of a new relationship, the restless spirit of the track feels like butterflies in Dawson’s stomach as he muses, “I wonder if your dad will like me / Or will he lose it like his hair / I’d like to think I’m kind of charming / but will it get me anywhere?” Apt for a poolside playlist, “QUESTION” is indie pop bliss.
ARCHITECTURE may not answer the world’s groundbreaking questions, but Dawson doesn’t claim to have tried. Instead, the EP gets at the heart of a simple matter: whether it’s in a studio apartment, a gab with friends or the embrace of a lover, home can be found anywhere if you build a strong enough foundation.