Dylan Goff - untethered (side one) & untethered (side two)

2023-11-02 10:13:11

There is probably little better in music than the combination of acoustic guitar, sung poetry, violin and piano. Few things create more depth and emotion. The strings of the guitar sparkle more beautiful and pearly every time you listen to the songs. The guitar waves. The violin flows gently. Untethered – in German “unbound” – is a conscientious journey into the unknown that still finds its way. The debut EPs of the Irishman Dylan Goff, who has lived in Vienna for 20 years. The two EPs actually belong together, the songs come from the same period and were released separately, so they differ mainly in production and arrangements and not so much in songwriting. The first EP “untethered (side one)” from 2021 with the white cover and “untethered (side two)” 2023 with the black cover depict a small boat and dreamy clouds starting a journey. Dylan Goff also has a journey behind him. Dylan Goff has lived in Vienna for 20 years, comes from Drogheda in Ireland and has a heart for language and poetry.

untethered (side one)

The texts are full of memorable language images. You could probably pick almost every line as a highlight. Untethered begins with the song Early April and a review in the text. „I wanna go back cast my blind eyes into the sun“ „she sits there laughing and says it’s nothing much“ „yeah it’s nothing“. „I wanna go back tell her we’re trading places“ „I wanna go back save us all from our fate“.

The Way that leads to you is catchy. „I told you I’m an Island as I began to drown“ it says.

Snake Oil featured Amelie Tobien in a duet with Dylan Goff. High-low vocal harmonies emerge. A song inspired by the music of Better Oblivion Community Center as Dylan Goff said in an interview with klangskizzerei. „At the time I wrote Snake Oil I was listening to a lot of Phoebe Bridgers and Better Oblivion Community Center. I loved how the vocal dynamics worked on the Better Oblivion record so when I realised that dynamic was going to suit Snake Oil I asked Amelie Tobien if she would sing it with me“.

The song dances in three-quarter time. The song is accompanied by drums played with jazz brushes. And a little riff that stays the same while the chord progression changes. A kind of retreat song in the lyrics, the retreat is also reflected in the small acoustic guitar motif. Sycamores feat. Also Amelie Tobien on vocals – a magical moment on the record when Amelie’s vocals link directly to Dylan’s vocals in this sailing song.

In Romance at Russborough the guitar waves like the sea on which the boat sails. Over which the seagulls fly. All instruments begin in thunderous triumph. And almost every line is an image and portrait. Only poets choose the Seagull guitar brand. Now when you look I turn my face away, see I was only a prisoner of the portraits they paint […] And if the flames dance round my face in this night please don’t stand there blackened, please just stand aside to collect my full heart from the ashes when passions subside.

untethered (side two)

Dylan Goff On “untethered (side 2)” the same boat adorns the cover, this time in the blackest night. I Get Lost the opener is thematically appropriate to the darkened boat. The music on side two is evocative and evolved. The sound is more spatial. I Get Lost has an impressive Frightened Rabbit inspired drum fill. Daniel Fisher’s atmospheric E-Bow, who also mixed untethered (side two), is often used. Goff’s sparkling fingerpicking glitters and the piano clatters.

“untethered (side one)” is almost perfect and everything is from a single source. Of course, Dylan Goff’s songwriting is indie folk, not pop. Still could be on side two Digging It seems to me to be a bit stronger as a song itself. The song parts could probably contrast a little more – the epoch-making outro doesn’t quite have the impact that it might have. The dazzling one Behold Our Smiles has the highest notes in the verse and a fairly low chorus, which is a bit unusual.

The reminiscence Walking in a Photograph and the closer, which deals with the theme of homeland Old Argyle Sweater – via Vienna and Ireland „beggars and businessmen on the U4” about the „cobblestones“ and the St. Stephen’s Cathedral – drive the EP home emotionally. I’ve come untethered I need to do better than shrill voice sad eyes and an old argyle sweater, closes the album. The melody builds up well and keeps the listener’s interest throughout the entire length of the song.

„I need to do better“ sound the last verses. But it’s a really good album. Above all, the emotion, voice and poetic lyrics are above average here. A moving, emotional and poetic album.

buy it on bandcamp

dylangoff EPs on bandcamp