Restless, wry and witty, Aderyn’s I Wish I Had a Dog is a gloriously anthemic and damn catchy piece of sweet and sour power pop.
Released on 8th June, I'm a little bit late getting to this one. However, the very first thing that stands about I Wish I Had a Dog is how great it sounds – it really punches and kicks. The verse’s hard beat (performed by Aderyn herself) combines with a wonky guitar jangle to deliver something with both a modern indie feel (maybe Arctic Monkeys) and an 80s new wave vibe (a la Blondie with maybe a hint of Teenage Kicks), while the chorus breaks out into euphoric power pop somewhere between Paramore and the bit of Nena's 99 Luftballons that finally kicks off. As already hinted, there’s something quite Debbie Harry to Aderyn’s delivery.
Juxtaposed with the song’s lyrics, this delivery is ironically bubblegum, with warbling guitar lines and “wah-ah-ah-owing” steeped in sarcasm and wryness. While a universal phrase, “write about what you know” comes to mind again and again, as Aderyn conveys certain realities of being a young adult in the 2020s. Faced with the prospect of a perpetual landlord-constrained existence, while being priced out of opportunities from home ownership to creative careers, the titular concept of dog ownership is a humorous yet relatable metaphor.
Beneath the pop melodies, the line "my generation’s a joke that isn’t funny yet" really hits hard, conveying a justifiable feeling of disbelief, disappointment and disillusionment. "I wrote this song about the surreal times we are living in. The lyric 'all the girls are selling pictures of their feet' really sums up the absurdity of my generation. It's probably more common for a girl in her twenties to have an OnlyFans than own a house," explains Aderyn.
At the same time, while exploring this normalised absurdity, there is also an honest joy to the track's pop punk abandon and floor-filling bounce. It will (quite aptly) follow you around.
It's the humour and honesty with which Aderyn often addresses genuine experience (not to mention the palette of satisfying pop sounds which she totally owns) that make her such a compelling and engaging artist. I Wish I Had a Dog is certainly up there as one of my favourite Aderyn tracks – if you have somehow missed it, go give it your time.
Also taken from her upcoming Sea Glass EP, follow-up single Chip Shop Boy is out on 28th July.
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