SG52: freddyboy - Hobby [EP]
Back in 2018, with just a handful of melodies recorded on a thrifted tape machine, Toronto-based musician Freddy Kwon began his solo bedroom pop project freddyboy. This speaks to Kwon’s level of concision, his ability to build and layer an entire world seamlessly within a small space — for instance, in just three tracks, Kwon’s 2021 sophomore EP Vignette002 beautifully solidified his unique multi-textured and maximalist take on lo-fi dream pop, seamlessly expanding on what he introduced in his debut EP Vignette001 exactly one year prior.
Hobby, his dreamy third EP, is another focused preservation and expansion of these ideas in a way that feels even more grounded. From the pensive, wistful vocals in lead single “On and On” to the lithe, crystalline guitar echoes in “This Time,” Hobby is a beauty beginning to end, a gorgeous continuation of the impressive expanse that Kwon has built in so little time. Bright and earnest, each of its five tracks feels like an much-needed escape from the world and its many expectations.
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