What becomes of the brokenhearted? It’s an age-old question with no correct answer, as everyone from Jimmy Ruffin to Diana Ross to Joan Osborne to Bruce Springsteen can attest. They’ve all walked the land of broken dreams. They’ve all realized, at one point or another, that happiness is just an illusion filled with sadness and confusion. They’ve all shed tears in their beers, drowned their sorrows, and longed for better tomorrows.
Philadelphia-based psych-rock duo Kewl Haze—aka Dan Scott Forreal and Derek Sheehan—have, too, as evidenced by “Used to Have It All,” the lead single from their forthcoming full-length debut, Suburban Sherpa. The pair perform a poppy autopsy on a past relationship that left Forreal reeling and feeling sorry for himself. Memories of the love that didn’t last are, for now, less gauzy and more opaque—as is the boozy recognition that, perhaps, he shares some of the blame: “I used to have it all, but it wasn’t enough.” It’s a propulsive piece, reminiscent of the Paisley Underground, Tame Impala and Prince, and bodes well for the album in full.
Forreal and Sheehan, it should be mentioned, are old friends. They grew up on the same street and made their bones in the same underground scene. Forreal, however, relocated to Colorado, where he fronted the psych-funk group Miscomunicado, and later moved to L.A., where he worked as an audio engineer. Sheehan, meanwhile, found his groove with the Philly band Weekender, which earned plays on WXPN and song placements on a slew of TV shows. But balancing the demands of a day job with his musical dreams led to a bad case of burnout. The pair reconnected during one of Forreal’s visits home, however, and began trading ideas and songs. Then, after Forreal’s relationship ended and he decided to move back to Philly, Sheehan flew west and accompanied his pal on the cross-country odyssey. It was during that long, strange trip that Kewl Haze was born.
The Old Grey Cat 