Ryan Beatty, unofficial BROCKHAMPTON member and ex cover singer in the early 2010s, released his second album "Dreaming of David", a dreamy, elusive and powerful work about Ryan's love life and everyday struggles with his sexuality, religion, and much more. The production, streamlined by members of indie rock band Slow Hollows, most notably Austin Anderson, is beautiful, lush, ethereal and ambient, some of my favorite instrumentals so far this year are found on this album on songs like "Dark Circles" (which technically came out in 2019 but I'm gonna let it slide) as well "Flowers At The Door". Not to mention Ryan's angel-like voice that enters your ears so effortlessly and smoothly. No surprise Ryan has gained so much traction since his performances on BROCKHAMPTON songs such as "BLEACH" and "SUGAR" given how much emotion yet subtlety you get out of his singing voice. Ryan Beatty delivers a fantastic album with "Dreaming of David", deeply personal, yet quite relatable, he flows in and out of ambient R&B and alternative Pop with an indie core flawlessly and really made me come to being okay with him calling his clothing brand "Aphex Twink", because, opposed to his last record "Boy in Jeans", I can definitely feel some of the Irish ambient artist Aphex Twin's influence on this album. Anyways, on to my favorites.
Here are my highlights from the record:
-"Dark Circles": Being our first view of this new record, back in November of 2019, Dark Circles is one of the more relatable tracks about love, but complicated love at that, wanting someone to leave while simultaneously having the need to have them there, and that if they left, how that would crush you to your core. Although the lyrics are quite moving, the instrumental rivals it without a doubt, I don't even know how to explain it, it almost sounds 8-bit but with additional production from an old school 808 beat maker, with a mesmerizing synth hidden under all of that, its really quite overwhelming (in a good way that is), and since its release had me fiending for anything new from Ryan.
-"Flowers At The Door": I'm not sure what to say about the meaning of this song.. it's about homosexual intercourse. Although I must say, as Ryan usually does, it's very beautifully put using metaphors such as "Our heads connected, I got the message", meaning y'know, his head on his partner's... head... but not his... head... anyways... I'm getting off track. And of course the instrumental and manipulation of his voice are gorgeous and give this song the feeling that it's almost being lifted up, although I didn't really want to reuse the term, it is without a doubt an ethereal song.
-"Evergreen": I personally find that Ryan uses his voice to its maximum potential on this track, even with the filters on the chorus, but honestly, this song has my favorite chorus on the album and I don't think it would be quite the same without the filter pitching it up that gives it a certain innocence that might've been lacking otherwise. Even with that innocence, the track is pretty sad, its the story of a relationship coming to an end, because both parties think that they've worn it out, that there's nothing new left to experience in it, using the metaphor of an evergreen, that never loses its needles, burning to the ground, making it no longer an evergreen, reduced to ash alone.
-"Genesis": Ryan describes having a relationship with someone who felt lost, but might've found themselves through religion, or at least I think that's what it's about..? Honestly this track kind of threw me for a loop, in the same way I don't understand certain Frank Ocean songs ALL that much, because man, sometimes those do not make much sense in my head. But the instrumental is what does it for me the most on this song, as well as Ryan's ebb and flow and intonation.
-"Casino": This song is definitely the one that feels the most like it was a leftover or was made soon after "Boy In Jeans", it has less of the sonic maturity that the rest of the album has, but it has the boyish innocence that his first full-length LP did have and I think the album definitely needed a touch of it, not that I have a problem with maturing and changing of sound, but I think sticking to your roots at least a tiny bit is important, in the same way you can hear touches of old Tyler, The Creator even in his newer additions to his catalogue such as "Flower Boy" and "IGOR".
"Dreaming of David" is the natural follow-up to Ryan Beatty's discography, a mature, ethereal (yeah I said it again, okay? geez) and luscious project with crisp instrumentals and angelic singing.
Solid 8/10.