Dylan Rodrigue
Cat’s Game
Bad Paintings/Palomino
Beautifully Intense, Eloquent and Just the Right Side of Melancholic Singer-Songwriter.
I don’t know an awful lot about Singer-Songwriter Dylan Rodrigue; but I’d love to meet his Dad.
Apparently the family lived in a Hippy style, Yoga based community in Northern California, with the young Dylan being brought up on a diet of `’quiet, peaceful and introspective music’ until……. when he was aged 7 his Dad snuck a copy of Who’s Next into the kids bedroom!
Let’s just say it changed his outlook on life!
Leap forward to today and Dylan is now releasing his second full-length album of self-penned songs that criss-cross both genres from his early life discovering music.
The opening song White Moon is a timeless and powerful four minutes that captures the attention and opens the door to a collage of musical delights.
For me Rodrigue is very much at his best with an acoustic guitar in his hands, especially when the windswept production and ethereal harmonies combine on Some Kind Of Heaven and especially the red raw, articulate and introspective Living in Color which closes the album.
Somewhere deep inside his chest I believe there’s a poets soul lurking; how else can you explain the delicate stories on Self Love and the fragile piano led, tearjerker Living This Way?
Be under no illusions Dylan Rodrigue isn’t a self-pitying songwriter, these songs while deeply personal sound like they are for and about anyone and everyone; none more so than the Alt. Rocker Money Game, which had my car speakers shaking in the dashboard!
Perhaps it’s the post-Christmas funk I’m in; but two songs have really touched my heart; it may have been the third or fourth time I played the album when It’s So Funny caught me unawares and Rodrigue’s world weary and pleading voice made me listen very intently to his words; and I felt blessed at discovering such a richly talented wordsmith.
But it’s the other song, Minimize The Damage which has taken the title of RMHQ Favourite song on a rather excellent album. It’s certainly intense and just the right side of melancholic; but there’s also something darkly beautiful and empowering in the way Rodrigue fights back the tears as he pours out his shattered heart and dreams to only you (and me).
Who knows if Dylan Rodrigue will go on to win a Grammy or earn a million dollars from his music; but what I do know is that everyone who buys Cat’s Game will cherish it for life.
Released 25th January 2019
https://dylanrodrigue.com/home
The Rocking Magpie 