Dylan Menzie has left his adolescent nature behind to embrace maturity in his latest EP As The Clock Rewinds.
While Heather Avenue was maritime folk and Adolescent Nature introduced alternative folk to Menzie’s repertoire, As The Clock Rewinds takes our hand and wanders slowly with us into new territory. It’s a slower, more thoughtful version of Adolescent Nature. Even though there are only two new songs in the album, Menzie has completely reinvented the old tunes. But he says there was a reasoning behind it.
“I had ideas for these songs that I didn’t a few years ago. The original idea was to do just a solo guitar or piano with vocals, but it moulded into something else as we worked on it,” Menzie explains.
Menzie evolves the tracks through adding new layers of piano, drums and guitar to revisit his songs and memories through a different, sober lens.
He creates a new narrative of a reflection on his youth with the help of his gained wisdom and experience. It’s his re-examining of life through a re-examining of his songs. And after listening to As The Clock Rewinds, we see he has found new meaning in both.
In past albums, we have the impression Menzie is a guy in a garage band, having a good time with his friends. But this time, his music is half-speed. There is a noticeable addition of a piano. And string instruments are woven in and out of the music.
“I’ll tell you a story…from my days of glory,” he starts in “Talk to Me” and throughout the album, he fulfills this promise.
In “Surviving Just on Coffee,” he recalls the start of his self-reflection. He remembers when he discovered the hardships of life and introduces the theme of growth and letting go, which remain weaved throughout the album. In “Julia,” he shares his past unrequited love and youthful uncertainty.
“Winterlude”, a new instrumental addition, featuring a mix of piano, guitar, percussion, invites us to move forward to the second part of the album. It’s a new beginning.
In “Looking Back”, he continues to reminisce in a hazy nostalgia. There are less instruments and no background vocals, but it focuses on Menzie, his voice and his guitar.
The re-working of his popular single “Kenya,” beings us to the climax of the album. “The seasons change,” he says, and the song is his way of moving on. His voice is clear and the percussion in the background brings a clean twist to the song. In its simplicity, we can appreciate the best parts of the song, like we can with all of As The Clock Rewinds.
In the end, his vocals are the stand-out element in the album. A complementary harmony of guitar, piano, strings and drums create a lazy Sunday-morning feel, incorporating both comfort and sadness.
This album isn’t an exploration of the unpredictable adventure of adolescence like past works, but an intimate reflection on it.
If Dylan Menzie’s growth as an artist continues like this, he has a bright future.