Written by Aly Maaño From his pop-rock roots as Abcd’s frontman, Darwin Dela Rosa embodies a different persona in his solo project, dear fr1end. In his debut single, “VOICEMAILS.” Darwin explores the midwest emo and pop punk territory, with heartbreak and longing as its main themes. It begins with a recorded phone conversation between two people who are evidently on the brink of ending their relationship. In between denial and bargaining, a jangly guitar intro can be heard, capturing that signature Midwest emo sound akin to the twinkly guitar elements of math rock. This forms the precedent of the song’s whole storyline: a person caught in the throes of a breakup, and is still holding on. As the verse explodes with a full swing of instruments, Darwin’s anguish-riddled voice perfectly reflects the protagonist’s emotional state. The track continues on a faster tempo, shifting more to the pop punk side with strong, prominent drums that break into clean, jangly riff solos at the right moment. At this point, the narrator continues to send voicemails to his ex-partner as a way to comfort himself rather than an attempt to bring her back. As if to mirror his sorrow, the song deviates once more to a slower pace, accentuating its cycling guitar parts and melodies. Having gone through all the stages of grief, the song collapses into a chilling guitar solo until the beep of an unanswered phone fades into silence. In its entirety, “VOICEMAILS” is the type of music you play on your car while driving to the only 7-11 in your rural town at 2 a.m. The lyrics aren’t gut-wrenching, but bleak enough for any listener to reminisce about that one failed relationship (or situationship). The song’s lack of a chorus doesn’t make it less catchy or memorable; it highlights Darwin’s ability to tell a consistent narrative from start to finish. Like a long-distance pen pal, one may wonder what other heartfelt stories dear fr1end will share through his music. SUPPORT THE ART AND THE ARTIST: