Bryan Dubay – HASTE

For the introspective listener, the all new EP, HASTE, from Buffalo’s Bryan Dubay could be your perfect fix. Fans of Fleet Foxes, Gregory Alan Isakov, and Elliot Smith may be especially drawn to this EP. Contrary to what the title may lead you to believe, this EP is all about slowing down and steeping in our emotions and self-reflection. Dubay says that:

Add to that the mixes of folk and indie pop, thanks to the production contributions from musicians like banjo player Tyler Bussay, John Bobowicz (Dubay’s bandmate from Whitetales), and the Brooklyn-based indie rock band Toledo, and you’ve got yourself a solid album for the fall season.

The EP immediately pulls you in with its title track, “HASTE.” With help from Toledo, the production on this track was phenomenal. The layering of the vocals, the delayed beat drop, and the overall build up of the melody adds a wistful edge to the song that feels like it could be in a cinematic montage. The lyrics evoking scenes of slow summertime evenings such as, “an old moon sapping scratching at a back lit summer screened-in deck,” juxtaposed with the song’s gradual crescendo, wonderfully conveys the lingering feeling of sadness that comes with acknowledging a need to move on while still wanting to hold on to a past full of fond memories and comfort.

The next track, “Golden Mirrors,” is all about self reflection. He talks about regrets, lessons learned, and a desire to grow. The extremely relatable message about not letting the past hold us back from a better future makes this a solid song, lyrically speaking. The musical production gave a bittersweet, yet optimistic, feel to the song. The melody of the guitar kept it upbeat, while the subtle undercut of the piano added a calming backbone to the composition.

“Motorbike” is a beautiful exploration of nostalgia and the intrinsic resistance to change we all may feel. The chorus calls out, “can it be the same as it was?” with a tinge of sadness, expressing a desire to go back to a simpler time that he knows, realistically, can no longer be. This song is full of yearning, from the lyrical content; to the pluckiness of the banjo for that folky twang; and the swell of emotion at the end, its a song that’s got all the feels.

To round it out, “Secret Phrase,” the final track, gives a very poignant end to the EP. It has a simple, melancholic feel, with the melody being carried by the strumming and plucking of a guitar. The song grapples with vulnerability and a struggle to open up, adding to the themes from this EP of nostalgia, yearning, and self-reflection an emotional punctuation to a continuous story about slowing down and not being afraid to soak up our emotions and experiences because they are both precious and fleeting.

In the words of Dubay himself, this album is best listened while on a walk through a, “breezy park on an autumn afternoon.” So, now is about the perfect time to give HASTE a listen, now streaming on Spotify and Amazon Music.