Dear listener, today I want to talk about the talented songwriter, composer, and musician Dan Smyth, who is a bright representative of the indie art rock genre. His debut solo album was released in 2019, followed by the 2022 album 'Eye Dream,' consisting of 9 tracks, which I'm delighted to tell you about today. The moment I first heard Dan Smyth's music, a genuine interest enveloped me, do you know why? I heard how art rock merges with a subtle synth sound, as Dan Smyth's touch becomes tangible from track to track in the album 'Eye Dream.' Dan Smyth intentionally creates a light sound with hints of synth in tracks like 'Night Heron' and 'When It's Real,' emphasizing the neon-like resonance of each note. Then, in tracks such as 'Outer Space' and 'Eye Dream,' through incredible mixing and processing work, the sound pulsates, seemingly embracing and covering the sound with a soft haze.
I'm absolutely enamored with the sound in 'Eye Dream.' I haven't heard such soft, deep, pleasant, and calming instrument combinations in a while. The drums, especially, with their shimmering low sound from ear to ear, captivated me. It feels like from this track onwards, Dan Smyth begins his experiment, performing an acoustic aria while the guitars seem to lean toward funk. This incredibly light song transformed the album's sound, enriched it, and filled it with a dreamy yearning. The album continues with 'Eye Dream II,' a powerful, strangely unsettling immersion into a dark world, propelled by Dan Smyth's haunting synth sound. In this, it's as if the subconscious mind unconsciously takes over, seizing every moment of the track and making it clear that pure artistry now reigns over the album. These two tracks, doubling and repeating the album's title, serve as the main components shaping the significant sound of the entire album. What is the gaze of a dream? Eye Dream? It's an incredibly personal question that has no parallel. For each individual, this perspective is unique, shrouded in mystery and cosmic mystery. Then, 'After the Crash' sounds like a ritual, and it completely astounds me. It seems to me that the image of a bird on the album cover is not chosen randomly. As if Dan Smyth is free in his images and genres, unbound by limitations, he simply surrenders to his music and heart. His sound in 'After the Crash' is filled with resonant rhythm beats, stunning artful vocals sinking into the echo. This track is one of my favorites on the album. I sense there are more surprises ahead of us, don't you think?
The album concludes with 'Morning, Midnight' and 'Light,' where Dan Smyth blends light country folk genres with sensual and sharp synths. The vocals are flawless and create a gentle atmosphere perfect for discussing stirring events and tormenting emotions. I can't help but acknowledge the professionalism evident in the balance within 'Morning, Midnight,' where a cosmic sound, almost like the sound of cold stars, merges into a cocktail of genres. It's a sound that doesn't need to be understood, analyzed, or categorized into genres and subgenres. You know, it just doesn't make sense because enjoying Dan Smyth's music is simply about listening to it tenderly. Letting it flow through you. Not searching for what makes art understandable within it. The album 'Eye Dream' is meant to be savored, embraced within your soul, allowing Dan Smyth's music to just resonate within you, and then you'll feel the potential, strength, and vibrant aura of this album. The final track 'Light' concludes the album on a high note with a very impressive video, where images, like dream images, merge into one path, one story, and one sound of colors and sounds. Wow, that was cool! We journeyed through space and soared to the highest point of bright sound and soft vocals. I feel like Dan Smyth created a journey through emotions, moving from pain to healing, from darkness to light, from cold neon space to the warmth of the sun, happiness, and dawn.
Dear reader, have you already started playing the album 'Eye Dream'? Well, you simply must start the year with this album because it will set you in motion for new beginnings, give you strength, and introduce you to a new artist whose music you'll want to follow and listen to.
So, Dan Smyth, thank you for releasing such new and modern music that truly sounds different, yet that's what makes it so unique, special, and valuable. I adore your album!
*This review was made possible by SubmitHub
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