The latest single from Dillon Ryan & The Dream Romantic is the equivalent of a New Wave lament for having lost the metaphorical thread on the story of your life. The band, based out of Moncton, New Brunswick, wear their influences on their sleeves as they work with producer John Mullane (In-Flight Safety) to channel the ’80s in a big way as “The Story” lays out a tale of two lovers who could benefit from a bit of a refresher.
“Oh, can you please repeat the story? / I lost my place somewhere down the line / Please sing a sonnet or a poem of a blissful state of mind / and it might just be before our hearts divide,” sings Ryan, evoking The Smiths, Joy Division, The Cure and whatever Max Headroom stores under his bed.
Ryan says he finds it interesting to see the song finally released into the world after having such a prolonged stewing period. The basic tracks were recorded two years ago and wrapped up before the infamous upheaval of 2020. It still took a bit of patience and an extra bit of finagling with Mullane to get “The Story” into its desired form.
“The original idea of this song was based on a demo that I brought into John a few years ago,” explains Ryan. “We would come back to it every so often really trying to refine the arrangements and overall presentation of the song. Some songs just take more time and patience to really get down to the essence of what they need to be. As a songwriter, I think you have to be willing to wait those things out.
“I feel like this song stylistically speaking is a true unified collaboration between the musical styles of John and myself.”
As Dillon Ryan & The Dream Romantic—Alec Victor (drums), David Gregory (bass), Julie Doucette (keyboards/vocals)—croon about a wayward romance in the abstract, we’re plunged back three decades to pick up where Echo & The Bunnymen left off. We’re revisiting familiar heartaches with familiar sounds and indulging in a form so convincingly true to the original that it’s hard to tell we ever really left.