An Experimental and Engulfing Album from Dyr Faser
A brand new album release from Dyr Faser brings out a series of influences from classic and experimental rock to alternative and indie, with plenty more blended in between. The most powerful thing about it is its character. The character of the record is something that you can't really turn away from, and there are attributes about this record that let it feel like it's a concept album, as songs do feel interconnected at times.
Touching Embers is the record that you should be listening to from beginning to end because it serves as an experience. When you listen to the whole record, you are able to soak in all the layers of textures that are happening throughout its course and really gain the full scope of what it has to offer.
Listening to a few tracks may give you a little bit of an idea of what you can expect from some of the staples of the album, but it will not give you the full spectrum of the entire thing.
This album is an escape, and a theatrical one at that, bringing in elements of reverb-driven rock-toned guitars along with organs, pianos, beats, and so much more.
All of these attributes come together to deliver an atmosphere all its own.
The first track certainly doesn't waste any time delivering some of that theatrical attribute with a more stripped-down and deepening piano ballad called "Wicked Ribbons".
You can clearly hear the track has authenticity behind it in the performance alone, but lyrically, it's giving pieces of something real, and this is part of what I mean by an album with character.
There's a lot of personality behind many of the songs, and it keeps you right where it wants to.
The track is followed by "Thought Crimes", which has a more upbeat feel and certainly brings classic rock elements to the table, to the likes of bands I grew up listening to. The Doors certainly come to mind.
Being able to have that semi-jazz drum beat along with these robust organs, sort of filling the ether of the track has a particular way of pulling you in.
This is accompanied by guitar work that feels more indie rock, and I dig that combination. Bringing in that vintage feel and a new-school approach is brilliant and this song represents that aspect of the record damn near perfectly.
"Sweet Angel" is the third track in line, and by this time, you are a bit engulfed in the record.
If you're not, then this is the song that will engulf you. This is a very vast and expansive, cinematic track that bears emotion, and these thick sort of key and synth tones that give it a deep underbelly.
The vocals are performed beautifully here. A lot of the vocals on the record are performed by Amelia May, who also performs piano and organs, so you have this very beautiful and smooth, floaty vocal that adds a gorgeous layer to a lot of the music but also brings out that theatrical aesthetic I mentioned earlier.
A lot of the other instruments and vocals on the record are performed by Eric Boomhower, who sings, plays guitar, bass guitar, percussion, and even drum machine at times.
Songs like "More of This" come through as experimental, and Eric showcases his more animated vocal style, which is reminiscent of artists more like Lou Reed.
Sounds like this is lush with those textural layers of indulgence and really adds a little bit more of a rock tonality with heavier feeling guitars at times, but still keeps to this trippy, psychedelic-rock approach.
As the record unfolds and you get pulled deeper in, you hear elements of jazz along with some surprises around its corners, especially in terms of the experimental soundscapes that these two are able to give off.
This is definitely a record that serves as a great escape. It automatically pulls you away from wherever you are, whatever you're doing, and puts you in this completely different world for a chunk of time.
It also sounded like it was amazingly fun to track, as again, a lot of these songs are very full-bodied when they want to be.
Tracks like "Human Interest" certainly showcase more of that jazz-rock feel, along with bringing more vintage, classic rock aesthetic to the sound of everything.
Eric's vocal approach is a little different but still has some emotion behind it, along with creating some great hooks melodically and giving off an almost live performance feel.
This is something I also thoroughly enjoyed a lot because I already know that Eric did a lot of the instrumentation along with Amelia, and it's amazing how they can give off this live performance vibe with just the two of them involved.
There's a lot of thought given to the arrangements of the songs, but they certainly write outside the box and create music with fewer boundaries than what you may be used to.
There's a lot of catchiness to the songs, along with some pop coating, but it's that bouncing between theatrical and jazz-driven or classic rock that really gives this record its robustness.
This was a lot of fun, and when it was all over, I found myself having to snap out of it and reacclimate myself back to reality once again.
Like I said, this is a great escape, and I suggest listening to it with headphones on so you can really soak in all those layers of texture I mentioned earlier.
Listening with headphones is absolutely, hands down, one of the best ways to dig into this album.
Again, I suggest listening to this thing all in one shot so you can go for the full musical journey it offers.
Take a deep dive into this record and see how it affects you.
