A flirtatious wink. A new match on the latest dating app. There are oh so many moments of infatuation that first signal romantic connection, but these are far from the whole story of romance in the modern era. On his full-length debut, Holden Jaffe—performing as Del Water Gap—dissects the stages of romance just as its initial flare begins to quiver. It is in this space that Jaffe embeds restlessly catchy ruminations on the tenacious implications of self-doubt with lush, sweltering sonic textures and lyrical sincerity to deliver a perfectly potent pop package with striking emotional depth. Trembling, reverb-soaked vocals and towering groovy guitar oscillations open the record on "Better Than I Know Myself" (a collaboration penned with indie-pop songwriter/artist Claud). Jaffe soberly reflects on the state of a relationship tipping into codependency and pleads for a way to make it right ("But you hit me up a thousand times a week/ Scared to tell you that I don't want you to leave/ But I know you will."). "Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat," an upbeat indie-pop burner, marks the unmistakable somatic sensation where something so vulnerable erupts from the soul that the only physical manifestation is the blockage as it works its way into the open. In the record's most tender moment, "It's Not Fair!" Jaffe whispers (over a shuffling, devastating, and heart-string-tugging guitar riff) his tortured thoughts that guide the listener through the stages of deteriorated relationship and the struggle that reconciliation often takes. "I just wanted to let you know I'm scared/ And it leaves me yelling / It's not fair!" Del Water Gap is a pop-infused declaration of the messiness that enriches human connection. Its peaks offer searingly catchy melodies and bombastically euphoric professions; its unfurled lows bring solace and reflective, empathetic patience. Romance isn't linear, but it certainly doesn't have to be walked alone. Taking this journey with Del Water Gap can make the most uncertain moments feel fulfilling, and that our lowest sentiments are ultimately coupled with catharsis. © Willam Card/Qobuz