Jack Devlin – Default Days (2025)
Have you ever heard of a life soundtrack? A collection of songs that express your reality from the tragedies to triumphs, insights to innocent recklessness, everything from step one until you reach that climactic end-of-the-road moment – Jack Devlin takes us into his soundtrack with his new EP, Default Days. He shares: “Default Days is basically me figuring life out in real time. It’s about moments that knocked me back, and the ones that reminded me why I’m still chasing all this. It’s about looking back on who I was, holding onto the good bits and trying to make sense of the rest.”
As each track plays, we find ourselves growing that little bit more with Devlin – kind of like a coming-of-age film, but not really. Produced by Shea Tohill and Adam ‘Cecil’ Bartlett, Default Days travels across the realm of indie and alternative rock, blending the tone, style and heart of Hozier, Sam Fender and Paolo Nutini, but with a wash of originality. In the opening track, ‘Worries Away’, Devlin brings a wistful, calm, tranquil attitude perfectly aligned with the title of washing worries away. He then moves on to ‘Skin In The Game’, where he continues to dance along with a heart-warming, smile-inducing flush of whimsy, joy and hope.
From ‘Skin In The Game’, the Ireland-based Devlin ups the pace with the EP’s title track. Retaining the rush of soaring guitars and pounding drums, ‘Default Days’ leans further toward a chillier brush of indie-rock. Yes, Devlin holds you close with a big hug in the form of his warm vocals, but there is a feeling of tumbling, a quick flutter as you almost fall over your own feet, and that feeling of profound tragedy entwined with insightful change. Then we get to ‘More Than Enough’.
Brimming with the intensity of ‘Default Days’, but with a heavier lacing of piano and acoustic guitar, ‘More Than Enough’ is an anthemic track that touches on the depth of acoustic intimacy, while also evoking the liberating feeling of stretching your arms to gulp in a carefree breath of air. For me, the final track, ‘Radio’, might be the most intriguing. It is as innovative and original as each of the five songs; however, there is an odd obscurity as Devlin blends elements of indie-pop and indie-rock from the ‘90s retro to 2025’s contemporary scene.
Only 16 minutes in length, Devlin’s Default Days is a quick listen; a speck of a moment in the grand scheme of things. Yet, as short as it is, the EP is both fleeting and memorable, sticking in your brain and heart long after the last song ends. My favourite track might be ‘More Than Enough’, but then again, Devlin’s vocals and the powerful instrumentation are so warming, inviting, and touching that each single offers an individual spark. Bringing kaleidoscopic sparkles to a dreary Monday, I highly recommend everyone have a listen to Default Days.
Find out more about Jack Devlin on his Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Spotify.
This artist was sent to us by Jawdropper Music.
