Harmony House (Dayglow album)

After the release of the extended version of Dayglow's debut album, Fuzzybrain, Struble planned to embark on a sold-out headlining show in early 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour was canceled and Struble isolated in his Austin residence.[4] In an interview with NME, Struble explained that the idea of Harmony House came from writing "[the] soundtrack for a sitcom that doesn't exist." Struble compared the feeling after the virality of the song, "Can I Call You Tonight?", as if he were living in The Truman Show.[5]

Harmony House has been described as a bedroom pop,[6] indie pop,[7] pop rock,[8] and alt-pop[9] record.

The first song, "Something" is a funk[10] song, with lyrics explaining the harsh separation between the digital world and reality.[11] The song contains a melody of notes that reoccurs throughout the other songs on the album.[6] "Medicine" is a retro pop rock[6][12] song in which Sloan explains to someone that he isn't their "medicine".[6] Describing "Balcony", Struble explained how he set out to create a song that sounded like The Cure, Broncho, and the Mario Kart soundtrack, as well as stating "[P]lay it at a house party or something cause that’s definitely what it’s for/about."[13][14] Drived by synths, a keyboard, and light trumpet, "December" describes seasonal depression, and a longing for life to get exciting again. One of the lyrics from the song comes from a poem which was a favorite of Struble's great-grandmother.[6][15] The album's lead single, "Close to You" is a 1980s pop song with lyrics describing "the tension between two people at a party that never said hello."[16] "Crying on the Dancefloor" is an emotional, trumpeted, lo-fi pop song describing a party where the narrator knows just one person, while "Into Blue" is an introspective disco ballad describing the "after-party" of the previous song.[7][17][6]

"Moving Out" is an electric piano song inspired by the James Taylor album "That's Why I'm Here". Stating it is "one of [his] favorite songs [he's] written so far," Struble describes Woah Man as "[letting] go of holding on."[7] Originally not indented to make it onto the album's tracklist, 'Strangers" is the vulnerable, somber "emotional climax" of the record, with Struble explaining "I want people to know that I go through hard stuff too, and life is like that sometimes."[7] The closer being "Like Ivy" is "totally on purpose", according to Struble. As "Strangers" is the "emotional climax" of the record, "Like Ivy" is the "immediate closure following it". Struble finishes, "The first track on the record, Something, is like the essence of quickly rising to fame and feeling so overwhelmed by it. During the outro I say "It’s taking time, it's taking time” over and over— like I can’t even get the words out of what I’m trying to say. Like Ivy on the other hand though, is like the completion of the sentence."

On January 11, 2021, Struble released the lead single from Harmony House, "Close to You".[18] The song reached 22 on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart. Harmony House was officially announced on February 22 of the same year, alongside the release of the second single from the album, "Something". Before the album's release in May 2021, two more singles were released, "Woah Man" (released April 1, 2021)[19] and "Balcony".[13]. On May 21, 2021, Harmony House was released alongside the music video for "Medicine", the fifth single from the album.[20]