Summer is finally here! Time for some great tunes, great friends and great weather to kick back and relax to. With International Pride Month launching this past week, I thought it appropriate to have the album reviewed support the themes of individuality, true colours, and of course, be some great music to accompany any summer celebration for the relaunch of the #tunesoftheweek segment. Released on April 14th, 2017, this week we kick off the summer with the latest EP from California rap artist DVG, “Covered in Color”.**
For goodness’ sake | Had to double take | Real or fake |
Hype enough, gave ’em a taste
The YouTube channels The Philip DeFranco Show, and the now deceased SourceFed, SourceFedNerd, et al (R.I.P.) first introduced me to Darren von Girdner. He was the producer behind the camera that you rarely got to see, but dialled up the silliness to 11 when you did. He was responsible for a lot of the re-style of the videos, the drunken riddles, Ikea furniture, and bonus host content (SourceFed had a name for this kind of video – it has since escaped me) towards the end, as well as playing a huge role in building the audience for these channels from the beginning.
What Girdnered (ahem) my attention to Darren was the leap of faith he took when he left the afore-mentioned YouTube channels and began his journey in what I like to call “dream-chasing”. A few years ago, Darren decided to leave his safe, cushy internet network job and pursue his passion for music. From vlogs and social media postings, Darren made it clear he had flirted with the idea for quite some time, and was ready to dive in and see what he could make of it. To his audience, it was incredibly inspirational and we all waited with anticipation for what the future held for Darren as he set out to make his mark in the world as DVG.
It’s undoubtably true that DVG’s earlier sound and lyrical composition style has gone through significant development since his previous works, but his thematic element of storytelling through detailed and metaphoric lyrics has remained the same. DVG said himself on one of his vlogs surrounding the release that, “… If you’ve never heard my music before, don’t even listen to the old stuff, just listen to this [sic]”. In previous titles, while the lyrics maintained their poetic, story-telling quality, the supporting instrumentation could grow tiresome, falling flat and repetitive at times to the listener, doing nothing to punctuate and focus the listener on these musical journeys. Compilations of the past could seem slightly disjointed in how each segment complimented the whole, and without a doubt his skill and prowess has grown in all these areas. He’s been able to employ a less rigid sound this time around, designing the instrumental and rhythmic compositions more carefully as a part of the track composition overall, and using the strength of those elements together to support the over-arching storytelling theme in his catalogue. Each track seems to be driven with more intension than in the past, and the EP as a whole has been fashioned more as a collection of thoughts and sound.
Now, DVG is not only honing his skills, but is also telling his own story much more eloquently. While in previous releases, DVG hid slightly behind the employed clichés, common phrasing and more juvenile thematic inspirations, he’s now able to more clearly and directly present his message, while still leveraging the artistic lyrical crafting he has found himself becoming slightly famous for. “Covered in Color” shows a more thoughtful, more focused, and more experienced DVG, and delivers a more carefully packaged chapter in the ever-continuing anthology than we’ve seen yet.
Keep it simple, stupid | But they told me | I was a young’un | Running faster than I was growing |
I was going, this is something
DVG’s “KISS” (keep it simple, stupid) philosophy shines through in the composition of this EP. From the poetic, enunciated lyrics taking the obvious focus, the deep consistent bass lines through out, and the short list of carefully selected instrumental punctuations that support each track, DVG steers away from the dangers of over-production, allowing him to deliver his message to the listener with delicacy and clarity. The instrumentation selected are the few, but precise elements DVG wants you to hear, as he aims to support the story-like arch he’s built through the lyrical composition.
He triggers the smooth, rounded horns on “Tone” to perfectly compliment the song’s message of settling down, while maintaining the right to staccato their phrases and elevate their volume to celebrate that same life phase later on. “Groove” supplies a much heavier, head-bopping feel, fuelled by confidence and that slightly boastful attitude representative of classic hip-hop bravado. The lightness and playfulness of the instrumentation on “Little Things” is balanced with the soft flow of DVG’s lyrical composition, and while telling his story, DVG commands you to move to it. We hear yet another level through “No Sleep”, where DVG transitions from merely reciting or rapping his lyrics, to unveiling a more melodic tenor flow in his registry. With the unmistakable Meghan Tonjes on the hook, the track takes on a unique personality from the rest of the album in its range and vocal juxtapositions. Steady keyboard chord progressions slowly introduce the euphoric, melodic qualities of “True Colours”, soon followed by the upbeat – almost happy – quality heard in DVG’s vocals and supporting digitization. The themes of acceptance and honestly throughout the track is appropriately paired with confident percussion patterns and the subtly showcased organ-like distorted major chord progression. “All Eyes” comes through to wrap-up the experience, mixing and layering all thematic components of the release into one summarizing composition. DVG performs alongside Maesu, for what marks the second duet on the EP, employing a conversational element between two voices whose tonal qualities compliment each other easily. DVG stays consistent with the staccato punctuation of rhythmic tones that run steadily throughout the EP on “All Eyes”, and delicately weaves reminders of instrumentation found in tracks past overtop, presenting the listener with closure that is both well-rounded and well-exited.
I just found my groove | Na na na | Boy you think you left me bruised? | Na na na | I pour the salt in someone’s wound | Na na na | I’m changing like the seasons do | Our season’s through |
Na na na
There are obvious influences from the sort of “new age of hip-hop” we’re seeing now. The same vibes that were introduced by Kanye West and Kid Cudi, artistically altered by Drake and FKA Twigs, and amplified by the likes of Childish Gambino and Watsky are present throughout Covered In Color. The ambience is very southern California, conjuring images of the surf-skate-snowboard lifestyle the region is famous for. Though the poetic quality of the lyrics can keep the listener guessing about a song’s context or true meaning, the ease and certainty through which they are delivered creates a sense of honest conversation between DVG and his listener. Add in the distorted echoes – found in much of the EP’s key phrasing – reminiscent of New Age classics, and you begin to see Covered In Color as an amalgamation of DVG’s influences, both music and environmental.
But just take my word for it all, check it out for yourself! DVG was kind enough to allow me to host the EP here for some reader enjoyment, so waterproof your phone, hop on a pool floaty and drift off down the lake with “Covered in Color” as your soundtrack this weekend.
Overall, this is a great work by DVG and completely showcases his development since his earlier works in not only his talent and skill as an artist, but in defining those unique qualities that make the sound “his”. I do feel this is just a step in the process, that there are refinements that can definitely be done to further his success, but that DVG has commendably offered an honest, well-crafted, and thorough showcasing of his growth and development in the “Covered in Color” EP. I’m excited to see how he will undoubtedly continue to evolve and further define the uniqueness he can offer to the industry, as well as how this EP, the first tour, and all this added experience will influence the cultivation of his artistry, and conception of future projects. DVG’s most valuable strength is exploring life for lyrical content, and channeling that through voice as the driving force behind the composition of his pieces. I have no doubt that he will continue to grow as an artist, and provide his followers with an entertaining perspective of his ride.
DVG is celebrating the finale of his inaugural tour with a show tonight (June 3, 2017) at the AMPLYFi in Los Angeles, CA. The event is all ages and tickets are available at the door. Check out ItsDvG.com for more information.***
Be sure to support DVG on all platforms:
*All photos are courtesy of DVG’s Instagram.
**If I had to drink every time I forgot to use the American spelling of ‘color’ for this review and had to make an edit, I might still be drunk.
***DVG has announced on his twitter that the Los Angeles show is now sold out! Congrats to everyone who scored a ticket and a major round of applause for DVG on what will surely be a grande finale to the first of many national tours!
