DYLYN – Heavy
Release Date: 17th May 2025
Canadian alt-rocker DYLYN‘s latest release, a five track EP entitled Heavy, has been being drip fed now for the best part of seven months. ‘Drown’, the lead single, was let loose in October 2024 with anticipation building through the dropping of singles ‘Overrated’, ‘Change Me’ and ‘Quit You’. Now, the titular track and final piece of the jigsaw sees Heavy become complete.
‘Heavy’ is the track that kicks off this brooding record in calm fashion. Just an acoustic guitar and the vocals of Gwendolyn Lewis greet the listener for the opening 45ish seconds before the odd twinkle appears. Even then, nothing really prepares you for the full-blown grunginess of the chorus with tuned-down guitars perfectly complementing the emotive vocals. As a complete departure, in terms of the opening at least, ‘Drown’ is a raucous rock track that has a party vibe reminiscent of those American coming-of-age movies. The sheer energy of the song is matched by the frenetic and evocative language of the lyrics. Lyrics that paint a picture of a youth well spent.
The most interesting thing about Heavy as a record is how unique each song feels. The acoustic intro gave way to a mass of energy which dissolves into the sleaziness of ‘Overrated’ and ‘Change Me’. Songs that if you were told were resurrected from the heydays of 90s alt-rock you’d have no reason to argue. The moodiness of the riffs, the breathiness of Lewis’ vocals, the stop start nature of each track. There’s something quintessentially alt-rock, bringing elements of Queens of the Stone Age together with Garbage to create a beast that stands out in a world of turgid copy and paste modern rock bands.
By the time closer ‘Quit You’ comes you’ll be ready to commit yourself to the Smashing Pumpkins and Pixies, the latter of which ‘Change Me’ feels like a beautiful homage to. ‘Quit You’ though is more of a romp. A modern alt-rock track with some huge riffs that drive it. Really though, each track pulls from a different legend of the genre in a way that makes each track unique but still fully DYLYN. There’s a clear set of inspiration that has been drawn on and this feels like an ideal path for someone with a clearly keen eye for making alt-rock that makes you want to hit repeat immediately.
Rating: 9/10
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