Dylan Owen’s “There’s More To Life” — An Engrossing, Eloquent Next Effort

Posted by jeffwbaird on June 9, 2015

A little more than three years ago, Dylan Owen grabbed the ear of just about every blogger within reach. His EP, Keep Your Friends Close, was—in almost every way imaginable—the antithesis of the content we typically receive from relatively unknown artists. He had really taken his time on the writing, it was clear, and put a lot of thought into making sure each song was intricately connected to the next.

But what was maybe most impressive about Dylan was his ability to impressively coexist in two worlds that often didn’t often have a link between them—he was a skilled enough lyricist to make freestyle videos that drew considerable attention, but then also could step back and write a potent, beautifully described song about his most private fears; a sound much more in the vain of an accomplished, alternative songwriter.

It’s been three years because Dylan has made another atypical move: to choose quality over punctuality. Because he chose to stay off the grid and figure out what he wanted his next effort to be, rather than put something out half-baked that he was half-committed to. There’s More To Life is a product of patience, and it’s the first project that truly sounds like his voice through and through. It also benefits greatly from some of the richest and most precise production we’ve heard from longtime collaborator Skinny Atlas. This may not be the project record execs would’ve encouraged for his next step, and it may not contain the songs that punchline-rap fans were waiting for—but that’s precisely why we love it. There’s More To Life is available now. Stream it below, or support his run into the top thirty on the iTunes Hip Hop Charts here.

Tags: Dylan Owen, EP, Skinny Atlas, There's More To Life