DAY6 has revealed their first sub-unit in the form of Even of Day, a trio consisting of the band’s bassist Young K, keyboardist Wonpil, and drummer Dowoon. Debuting on August 31 with their song “Where the sea sleeps,” Even of Day brings a bright hint of electro-pop to the fading days of summer.

Considering DAY6’s mastery of genres, it was hard to anticipate what musical style Even of Day would deliver (personally, I’m still holding out for a jazz release). With the tracklist drop and the knowledge that DAY6’s animated DENIMALZ personas would be featured on the album, fans were left all the more baffled. The Book of Us : Gluon - Nothing Can Tear Us Apart, however, ended up being completely different from what fans expected, yet it makes perfect sense. With the absence of DAY6’s guitarists Sungjin and Jae, Wonpil takes charge of the melody in the form of synths. This leads to an all-around electrically charged sound, tiptoeing somewhere between electro-pop and ‘80s synth-pop. It’s a sound you never really expect to hear from DAY6, but nonetheless, it’s one that sets Even of Day apart from their parent band and allows them to shine all the same.

Gluon opens with an intro titled “Landing” featuring the DENIMALZ, setting the tracklist up in a story-like format. The first full track “Landing” sets the high-energy, ‘80s pop vibes of the album, with the percussion taking front and center courtesy of Dowoon. The first rather quirky interlude “Ocean,” complete with joyful whistling and dreamy vocals from Young K, ushers in the album’s title track “Where the sea sleeps.”

Though “Where the sea sleeps” still has the inherently happy sound of synths, it’s a much sadder song than its predecessors. The swinging 6/8 beat lends an extra sense of longing to the already aching lyrics about the fear of growing apart from a loved one. Both Young K and Wonpil have particularly emotive voices, especially when they employ their higher registers. Hearing them weave their voices together throughout the song is almost as magical as it is heartbreaking. And while their individual voices are breathtaking in their own rights, the way they harmonize in the final chorus of “Where the sea sleeps” is the stuff of dreams.

The music video for “Where the sea sleeps” is entirely animated and features the DENIMALZ counterparts of Young K, Wonpil, and Dowoon as they travel through space. When a technical malfunction strikes, the three animals are forced to evacuate their ship, though not before grabbing their most beloved possessions: plushies of Jae and Sungjin’s DENIMALZ and a compass representing the band’s fans, My Days. As they crash-land and navigate their way through the sea on a foreign planet, they use the compass to guide the way, only to stumble upon a beautiful island as day breaks. It’s honestly a very sentimental counterpart to the song, made all the more special with the nods to Sungjin and Jae who have been on hiatus since the release of DAY6’s The Book of Us : The Demon this past May.

Moving along the tracklist, the second interlude “Forest” kicks things back into gear before the lively “Thanks to” comes in to close the album. This synth-heavy song sounds like the cousin of DAY6’s 2018 release “Days Gone By,” but reads more like 2017’s “When You Love Someone” as a heartfelt love letter to fans (which it likely is—Young K even went as far as to simply copy the lyrics straight into his “thanks to” section of the album). The outro “To be continued” closes the album, not-so-subtly hinting at more to come for the boys of Even of Day.

Watch the touching music video for “Where the sea sleeps” below and be sure to support the members throughout their upcoming promotions.