Singer Ryan Beatty is commonly associated with the rap collective BROCKHAMPTON, appearing on their most recent album, GINGER, as well as being credited on Tyler, the Creator’s Grammy award winning IGOR. With Beatty’s release of his sophomore album, he has reemerged as a solo artist. His album Dreaming of David was released January 31, approximately one and a half years after the release of his debut album, Boy in Jeans. Sonically, this album has a different vibe than Boy in Jeans, with synth elements and experimental autotune, but still maintains thoughtful lyricism and impressive vocals. 

Beatty released the first single off the album, “Dark Circles,” September 13, accompanied with a music video and a live version. The second single, “Patchwork,” was released November 15, and the final single, “Casino,” was released January 17 along with the release date of the album. 

Dreaming of David showcases Beatty’s vocals, but also plays around with autotune. This more experimental quality shows the influence of Beatty’s involvement with BROCKHAMPTON, as on their songs “BLEACH” and “SUGAR” his voice is modified to be deeper, such as it is on “Dark Circles.” The release of this song demonstrated Beatty’s shift in sound, from Boy in Jeans to Dreaming of David. Songs like “Hawkshaw” and “Patchwork” still continue the thoughtful lyricism from his last album, but have more production and autotune. Yet even with this voice modification, Beatty’s vocals still shine through. On songs like “Casino” and “Genesis,” the natural voice of Beatty is present, free from much voice modification. Beatty’s range of vocals lack the need to add autotune, but for stylistic reasons, the voice modification adds depth to the album. 

While Boy in Jeans may be audience favorites right from first listen, Dreaming of David may take a couple listens before it grows on the listener, but each song is truly a masterpiece.

5/5