After producing a trio of richly sentimental discs under the titles Kodachrome, Ektachrome and Verichrome, Dylan Boyd has emerged from his Tulsa, Oklahoma darkroom with a hypnotic new album.
Dreamcatcher offers up the same wistful, tranquil beats that have made previous works such easy listens. While its cover fits neatly with past work, the music’s less specific imagery represents another step forward for the soloist.
A word about those covers first. Boyd shared this with me for a previous post: “I fell in love with Polaroid cameras as a child, and right after high school I picked up an old camera and started shooting instant film again. It’s probably my favourite medium for shooting photography. Most of my album covers were actually shot using a Polaroid camera. I always felt the images I create go with the style and sound of my music.”
If they haven’t already received a gallery-style presentation, these images deserve one. Boyd is a talented, highly stylistic photographer.
His music comes from a similarly unique perspective. Tracks like “Morning Memories” and “Dandelion Wishes” are pure-spun dreampop gold. Boyd’s decision to feature guitar sounds prominently throughout the album (often in a manipulated form) sets Dreamcatcher apart from much of what we’ve heard so far this year.
On “Summer Love (When I Think of You)” and “Beautiful Girl,” Boyd delivers an unabashed pop sensibility, albeit within the confines of his downtempo niche. It’s not so much a juxtaposition as it is a fresh take on the genre.