EP: January - Baseball Dad
words: indigo baloch
After a worthy wait, Baseball Dad released a new EP sure to delight us, and soften our beastly hearts. There’s nothing more tender, more raw. It’s a vulnerable view into difficult subjects, welcoming you with an extended hand. Lead vocalist Hal McDonough gives us an intimate look at sorrow with delicate backup vocals from Sofia Lange (also of Tap Shorts). Their voices flit around each other and harmonize like little birds dovetailing in and out of parallel flight. It’s such an incredible pairing of emotive, arresting voices—the kind that turns your head, draws you into the room.
McDonough’s poignant—almost haunting—vocals and lyrics are balanced with light beats and the gentle strum of the instrumentals. It’s a fluid, calming blend that leaves you sinking into it with comfort—like the arms of an old friend. It’s the shoulder you can rest your head on after a long day. It’s lying on the couch after a rough night and your cat coming up to sit by your side. It’s a hot cup of tea that’s cooled just enough to sip, but still warm enough to feel it settle in your belly.
The first of the three songs on the EP, “Flowers + Tea” is a bouncing but timid tune for any anxious heart unsure of how to bridge the divide that’s grown between them and a loved one. There’s sorrow in it—it recognizes an evolving distance, that their love turns cold like water in a bath. It’s apologetic and longing, but the steady beat will keep you bobbing your head along, keeping your chin up.
The next track, “January,” is one of the EP’s most raw inclusions. McDonough croons painful lines like, “I’m terrified of being alone / Wish that I was okay on my own / Locked in my head for days on weeks on end.” It’s an illuminating song about how cruel we can be to ourselves, how we can be prisoners of our own minds, and how we can rely so deeply on those around us to pull us out of that grim hole.
The third and final track, “Undone,” like “Flowers + Tea” mixes dark lyrics with an upbeat melody. It blends cold memories and realizations with such playful music that you might find yourself tapping your toes to the beat—though the lyrics are stinging and heavy.
There’s something truly calming about the EP, as if you could leave it play for hours and never get sick of it. The words and notes come back each time in a familiar and tender way. It’s something you can get lost in, something you can savor for long stretches of time. And each listen will feel fresh and natural, as if you’re coming home.