A self-taught musician and audio engineer from the Midwest, Halcyon (the name Joe Torres uses for his solo work) has been recording beachy bedroom dream pop with a hint of melancholy ennui since 2014. Having previously recorded in other groups, 2015 saw Torres (then known as Monochrome) hit his stride with his solo material, adding a drizzle of lo-fi scuzziness to his otherwise ephemeral sound. Never one to be idle, Halcyon released a series of covers and remixes on his SoundCloud, including a version of Tame Impala’s “Gossip” and culminating in 2018’s EP Night Thoughts.

Night Thoughts finds Halcyon experimenting with crystalline synths and shimmery guitars, and turning inward for lyrical inspiration. Dreamy, achingly earnest vocals characterize standout track “All I Have,” while “More” is a study in subdued, infectious funk-tinged pop with a quietly danceable base line.

Halcyon’s influences are many– Toro Y Moi, Beach Fossils, The Growlers, Deerhunter, and The Holydrug Couple to name a few– and are palpable, though not overpowering, on Night Thoughts. The rest of 2018 will see Halcyon writing, producing, and mixing for a variety of other projects, as well as carefully honing his bittersweet dream pop sound for his next record.