Review by Jamie Glenn
Imagine this, you’ve just experienced something very sad, a break up perhaps, so to lift you up your friends drag you out to a club downtown. When you get there, Montville, New Jersey’s Jared Dylan’s “Can’t Stop” is playing in the background, just one song off of his debut album “Consequence.” This album not only hypes you up, but also makes you forget about the one who did you wrong all at the same time.
“Can’t Stop” is a track that opens and closes with three unique renditions. Dylan’s effort is high-energy for listeners, begging us to take the leap and “lose control” with him. The first of the three “Can’t Stop” tracks offer listeners with a longer track overall and a heavier narrative structure alongside a controlled, lower range of EDM style beats that build up as the song progresses.
The second rendition of “Can’t Stop” (Carmen Rizzo Remix) portion of the album comes as the fifth track with a faster more upbeat tempo than the previous version. This version, though good, would be best if you listened to in an attempt to prepare for a party or to get hyped, there isn’t that “chill” factor in this remix.
The third and final version of “Can’t Stop” (John Gibbons Remix) takes it down a few notches while still keeping a strong electronic tempo, making this version the perfect balance between heartful lyricism and a fully hyped upbeat that will have you dancing like no one’s watching.
Lyrics like “I’m a loaded gun in social situations, get passed around. / Never learned to leave much to imagination/ And I just can’t stop and I’m not coming down until I turn myself around,” shares a side of Dylan that could come across to listeners as a very relatable, yet unique approach to many situations in life. Lyrics like “Oh, it’s a matter of time, let me lose control,” shares a very optimistic view into the dynamics of the song that could be very relatable for some listeners.
The second track titled “Justified” opens with a Sara Bareilles “Love Song” vibe to it. The piano-driven track is sly with its delivery and makes you want to mess something up. With moments like “The way you turn it and burn it, you’re working overtime./ I don’t deserve how you serve it, I have to fall in line./ Make you want to shape up even if you didn’t do anything wrong.” The lyrical playfulness, when matched with the unique pairing of instrumentions, lead up to a layering that makes Justified the best effort on the album.
“Double Time” is a dreamy piano-driven track that is very appealing to the ear with its diverse, yet catchy lyrical ear twisters. For example, “ I live a double life, a double standard… double back, a double take, double trouble the more ground that I shake,” really makes you think about what is being presented by Dylan and as a listener, you want to explore the song’s complexity.
The fourth track of the Consequence album “Party Goes All Night” feels like the black sheep of this album with it’s very cool, but very unexpected Reggie style influences that really is “hotter then Uranium.” Dylan makes sure that “everybody gets some” with this track.
Jared Dylan is the perfect mix between groups like Flights Over Phoenix and Will Jay. Dylan is the artist you want around when you need to feel something electric without going overboard. His complex lyrical content mixed with his Reggie, piano style EDM makes him the first in the game to mix and match in a way that the modern music scene has yet to see.
Follow Jared Dylan
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website
