It’s that dreamy “lost in the woods” time of year again. With the fallen leaves and lingering crispness to the air, the rustic escapist daydreams of A-frame cabins and roaring fires come flooding back like a landslide. Dan Forsyth’s single “Never You Mind” offers the perfect soundtrack for such fantasies, offering up a cheery, cozy cup of comfort for the cold months.
Forsyth’s folk and blues sensibilities blend seamlessly with the song’s pop structure, making for an appealing, light-hearted venture into indie folk. The song leads with a whistle tune echoing over a noodling acoustic guitar, both lasting the duration of the song behind Forsyth’s smooth, twangy voice.
To the naked ear, the beat of the song sounds to be sourced by knocking on the guitar’s body, adding to its warm, welcoming feel- it’s a level of intimacy with the music that makes it sound like Forsyth is in the room now, playing the song live just for us. Further, “Never You Mind” was recorded on a 4-track tape cassette, fully rounding out that rustic DIY sound. From start to finish, Forsyth never lost sight of creating an organic sound. It’s straight from the source– from artist to listener–the way music was intended to be. Lyrically speaking, while Forsyth’s ear for American folk sounds is both strong and poignant, his storytelling evokes the same personable and nostalgic feelings as Irish folk singer David Keenan.
Mixed by one of the Lumineers’ latest sound engineers, there’s no doubt this song will make it onto your forest escapism playlist this winter. So grab a hot cocoa and your hiking boots. It’s time to see the mountains.
Dan Forsyth is no stranger to the music scene. As a singer and guitarist for American folk band Driftwood, Forsyth has been an active musician since the band’s formation in 2006. In 2020, like many other tours, theirs was canceled, leaving Forsyth with a new opportunity– a break. However, it wasn’t long until he started itching to make new music again, though this time was disenchanted with the process. And so, he turned to his analog 4-track tape cassette, and set his sights on an analog, natural approach to his music. The result is his first completely solo album, Friday Night Nowhere, out now.
Written by Jess Ward
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