Ryan Beatty has brought yet another chill and majestic album to the world on Friday, Jan. 31. The LP, titled "Dreaming of David," is 12 tracks full of heartfelt emotion and feelgood vibes that are perfect for almost any mood.
Prior to the album’s launch, three singles were released including “Dark Circles,” “Patchwork,” and “Casino,” the latter two having official music videos released on YouTube.
The first song off of the album, although unlike his previous work, is still super impressive and unique - making fans even more excited to hear the entire project.
The first track “In the End” reminisces back on moments of first meeting a special person and discusses believing something good will come out of it, without really knowing for sure. “In the end, I believe in something I can’t see,” Beatty sings.
On most songs throughout the album, including “In the End,” Beatty uses many vocal effects to make his voice sound lower or higher in addition to his natural vocals. This helps add a mix of sounds and makes each song more interesting.
While this helped make the album more versatile, I think the artist could have added more different tempos and fun upbeat songs to add even more variety to the LP. Beatty’s potential for greatness is shown through his wordplay and interesting themes, and it would have been nice to see even more of that.
Throughout the song “Genesis,” Beatty alludes to religion many times, much like he had done on his previous album. “Basically an atheist, he’s all that I believe in right now,” Beatty sings soothingly. “Ever since Jerusalem, had a change of heart / You went back to Genesis, found God, found God.”
During two other tracks, Beatty talks heavily about some of his family, which is an aspect of life that greatly affects most people. On “Shimmer,” Beatty sings about his relationship with his father and times they shared growing up:
“Father, father, come home, come home,” he sings emotionally. “You took me fishing when I was 8 / went to June Lake, came face to face / with my future and a deer in the woods / those times, so gone, so good.”
I think that talking about relationships with family on both “Shimmer” and “Brother" made this album even more unique, as most artists today talk mostly about their experiences with romantic relationships.
In the past, Beatty has collaborated with hip-hop boy band BROCKHAMPTON, as well as their frontman Kevin Abstract. While I usually like him during these features better, I think this new project has brought out a new side of him and better shows his talent as a solo artist.
Both Abstract and Beatty talk openly about their sexualities, opening up their audience to mainly the queer community. “Clothes off / He needs to come through or cut me off,” Beatty sings on “Patchwork.”
This openness adds another positive aspect to his career as a singer-songwriter, using his fame to shed light on the importance of accepting yourself and others. His bravery with sharing his often controversial experiences and experimenting with different musical techniques shows even more of his talent as a young musician.
Whether or not you’ve heard his name before, you should definitely check out Ryan Beatty’s new album, as it is perfect for a simple winter playlist.
I would give this album 3 out of 5 Swoops.
