So Familiar

Album review

The project of Melbourne-based multi-instrumentalist Dylan Young (Snowy Band, Cool Sounds), Way Dynamic emerged with a self-recorded debut EP in 2018. At the same time that he takes a playfully idiosyncratic indie approach to its execution, Young only adheres more strongly to 1960s and '70s influences in the realm of soft rock, Baroque pop, and bossa on the project's full-length debut, So Familiar. Written while sidelined from touring and gatherings during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was eventually recorded with Good Morning's Liam Parsons and Stefan Blair directly to tape. A handful of guests also make appearances, including Snowy Band-mate Emma Russack, who duets with Young on "Our Love Is All I'll Ever Need," a song whose jazzy musicianship, elaborate chord progressions, and airy group backing vocals evoke the likes of Steely Dan as well as classic easy listening. So Familiar opens with the ultra-mellow singer/songwriter entry "Not a Fan," whose mumbled, double-tracked vocals, lethargic bass, and fingerstyle acoustic guitar pattern greet listeners with a drowsy '70s nostalgia befitting its snapshot-like lyrics and dactylic melody. Elsewhere, the brighter "Sorry" plays with starts and stops, "Just Begun" leans into a Baroque lounge bossa, and the title track's lively bass and crisper pop/rock arrangement still adds touches like flute and clarinet. Mixed in among these warm, tuneful ditties are Morricone-esque instrumental tracks that similarly favor the '60s and '70s overlap between jazz, pop, and easy listening ("The Goose Is Loose," "Much Too Much"). The results are transportive enough to provide escape as well as a touch of whimsy on a set that, despite its potential to play as pastiche, stands apart from the crowd.

© Marcy Donelson /TiVo