D.Y.L.S, otherwise known as Dylan Davies to his family and friends, is an upcoming artist that discovered pretty casually he had the gift of naturally writing songs and playing the guitar. Just Imagine, one of his earliest projects, embodies the depth and beauty of human feelings and the many consuming what-ifs that go through our minds. In other words, a very much what could eventually be, a timeless ballad.
The beautiful guitar chords and the dreamy vintage record player in the background, give the start of Just Imagine, establishing the mood for the next 4 minutes. A moment to lay back, let your feelings come wide open and get in touch with that vulnerable side. Dylan goes to sing after a good 30 seconds of pure instrumental, meeting our expectations and delivering a soulful performance: “Just imagine a story, just imagine what we could be/ Just imagine a story, the one you’ll always need/ Just imagine if I, could take you and hold your hand/ Just imagine if we, always knew how to understand” In this case, the lack of details earnestly makes place for interpretation and adds a mystery note to the overall message. It could mean something different to each person listening to this song. It might be about first love to a teenager, about a lost parent to an adult, about wishful thinking to someone who’s done wrong.
D.Y.L.S’s baritone voice is artfully pushed out of its comfort zone into that raspy edge where emotions tend to be emphasized by the-almost-cracking notes. Safe to say, Dylan has definitely found his unique register to perform as a singer. Something pretty admirable as that usually takes years for normal people.
Despite its simplistic format, Just Imagine holds its grip on the listener and keeps alluring the audience further and further in, until you realize the song has just ended. It most certainly has a character of its own, or as others may say: that je ne sais quoi factor. If we had to compare Dylan’s Just Imagine with a famous equivalent, we’d be prone to lean towards the late 2000s soft rock music ballads that used to dominate the charts. Bring back the mature voices, the guitars, and good looking male singers with a romantic message 😦 The same factor that causes sadness for us (we only have Shawn Mendez, Charlie Puth, and Ed Sheeran to turn to on the radio), it’s the same huge advantage Dylan has on his side. He is most definitely on the right path.
The last lines of Just Imagine are transparent at first sight, and very complex on a second look: “Just imagine if we could see you again/ Just imagine if we could see you again/ Just imagine if we could see you again”, with a most intriguing choice of first-person plural use, “we”. Is the song after all about a lost loved one? Or about a couple that wants one of its halves back? You’re the one to choose what you want this record to be about. Dylan has given all of us the artistic freedom to adapt his wonderful song to our own emotional needs.
Note from Dylan: Special thanks to Leon Masters, who did all the composing work and without whom the song wouldn’t have been possible.
Make sure you add Just Imagine on Apple Music HERE, on Deezer HERE, on Amazon HERE, and on Spotify below:
Written by Mariana Berdianu
Blue Rhymez Entertainment ©2020
Blue Rhymez Entertainment 