Single reviewsThe Other Side Reviews

Arlo Indigo – Don’t Be Sad (2021)

The world we live in is full of nuance which is what Arlo Indigo is bringing to his single ‘Don’t Be Sad’. While asking a rather heavy question, he layers melancholy with an upbeat sound. Splashing out with seriously bright pop sensibilities, he tempers them with dead-pan lyrics that are packed with realism.

While hitting you with layered melodics, Indigo continues to help listeners work through their emotions and thoughts. With a different approach compared to his single ‘The Best’, he has you thinking while getting down to his infectious sounds. By the end of the song, you will be feeling a little lighter and happier about everything.



‘Don’t Be Sad’ strums an upbeat vibe into your ears from the first second. The instrumentation has a bright feeling that is brought down slightly with a touch of melancholy. It is an interesting combination of smiles, bright lights and depression. The tapping beats get your foot tapping while the thrumming guitars have your head moving to their lively vibes. On the chorus, there are higher tones that blink in and out of existence enhancing the dichotomy of the single. The arrangement of the melody is perfect as it gives you a light seat to rest on as the lyrics bring a touch of sadness to your brain.

The lyrics have a somewhat conversational structure to them as they pull you into the verses. Indigo’s vocals are so easy on the ears as he contemplates the world and everything that brings us down. His performance is a grounding against the upbeat melody, but there is a glimmer of something good in his voice. This shines on the chorus with those light tones as he asks us to not feel sad even as we are faced with all the negatives of the world.

Through the contrasting of ‘Don’t Be Sad’, Arlo Indigo fills you with both light energy and sombre reality. The light energy comes through in the melody that is infectious and upbeat while the vocals have a realistic melancholy to them. While the vocals do bring you down, there is a glimmer of something good woven into them.

Find out more about Arlo Indigo on his website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.

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