During this pandemic, we have all rebranded ourselves in a certain way. Some of us achieved long-term New Year's resolutions that never amounted for the fourth year in a row or introducing people to a refined version of ourselves. When artists go through this transformation, it's even more exhilarating. Boston-native poolfire has lifted his identity and artistry to more significant, more innovative heights with his brand-new project's inauguration. A self-proclaimed "suburbs kid" discovered his passion for music at an elementary age when his mother gifted him a guitar to keep him occupied and creative. Ever since he taught himself to play, his curiosity for innovating and blend unique sounds cultivated into what is now his signature eccentric style.
As music for millennials evolved over the years, Ben, a.k.a. poolside, drew a liking to the alternative rap movements excavated and popularized in the Soundcloud area of the mid-2010s. Those state-of-the-art hip-hop subsets birthed his first artist alias, YOUNGFACE. When YOUNGFACE debuted into that Soundcloud scene in 2018, he made a splash and garnered considerable attention from publications like Fashionably Early and Lyrical Lemonade. His early-era music was defined as but not subjected to a mix of R&B, garage rap, alt-pop, and even Reggaeton garnering fans from vast spectrums of genres. YOUNGFACE embodied the principles of youthfulness, rebellion, and the energetic excitements of transitioning into your late-teen years. As he has grown personally and musically, the appropriate next step was to introduce the world to his more polished and developed alias, poolfire.
Having known Ben for a couple of years now, he has continuously experimented with different instruments and genres to produce a different yet entirely unconventional voice for the project. His artistic vision doesn't stop at the music; Farrell conceptualizes and illustrates different scenes for each song to play out and exists in. These interconnected yet sometimes opposite settings transcends listeners into decades and geographies where each piece uniquely lives within. The poolfire project feels like the rebirth of YOUNGFACE as a more cohesive yet chaotic sound that you can never genuinely link to one specific category. "The rebrand is necessary," says Ben, "while I know I could continue releasing music, I felt as though YOUNGFACE accomplished what it needed to do. poolfire is my reset to take my music more seriously, to be more vulnerable, and to reframe my relationship with music."
Last week, the poolfire project launched with the debut single "Got a New Guitar Today. This Old One Never Stays In Tune." While the long and abrasive title explains things for itself, the track feels like a product of early Green Day and The Strokes jamming out in a garage in attempts to recreate a post-punk sound from the '80s. The song oozes with stank face and vintage amplifier nostalgia that we remember experiencing or seeing while observing punk rock music back in our early music discovery days. It's a breath of fresh air for alternative rock fans and is an exceptional avenue for rookies in the genre to induct themselves into the world of new wave punk. Even though poolfire decided to pioneer his new identity with this song, don't expect his follow up singles to sound remotely near this one.
I got the invite to hear a sneak preview of poolfire's upcoming tracks, and while they all intertwine, they could not sound more different in the best way possible. He is a master at his craft and balances the fusion of styles in each track beautifully to create a product that the younger generation can stylize, and more seasoned fans can enjoy reminiscing. Be sure to keep an eye out for the heaters that will come out before the end of the year into and into the New Year. Poolfire will be that act that you will want to say that you knew before the blow-up.
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