Dust Chaser. VanWyck

Ah, sometimes things seem easier to explain than I could have imagined. Christien Oele, the singer-songwriter behind VanWyck, was born in The Netherlands but was raised in New Zealand, before returning to NL. So, she drank from the same water, whatever it is that is in there, as singer-songwriters like Reb Fountain, Vera Ellen, Aldous Harding and Ebony Lamb and others have. Mostly the first singer though.

On her new album Dust Chaser the associations with Fountain are once again quite obvious. I'm very happy with them as both make make albums that guarantee some serious listening, mystery and beauty. VanWyck lives up to expectations with Dust Chaser - and the some.

VanWyck made her debut on this blog in 2018 with the album 'An Average Woman', reviewed by Erwin Zijleman, followed by 'God Is In The Detour' (2020) and 'The Epic Tale Of The Stranded Man' (2022) reviewed by yours truly. That Dust Chaser follows is only logical. Some things have changed, as the album is released on a different label. But, there is more.

My impression is that on her new album VanWyck rocks a little harder. That there is a far greater role for the electric guitar. That may be totally erroneous as in my mind I hear slow(er), mysterious, piano driven songs and very little relatively harder rocking songs. The balance between the two is quite right here on Dust Chaser. There's even a song that positions itself in between. 'Desert Bride' is a song I would opt to call roots music, with its typical lead guitar (sound) and rhythm suggesting endless trips down an I-something highway through the endless U.S. deserts.

I noticed that in both previous album reviews I mentioned Reb Fountain. Recently I found that both singers have more in common than just their style of making music and way of singing. Both released their first album relatively late in life. Both emigrated to New Zealand with their parents when young. This doesn't explain the similarities, striking it is.

The more surprising is a song like 'Jump In'. With a little imagination I can call it funky and bluesy. 'Jump In' has a great rhythm and goes for it in a totally different way than one would expect from a VanWyck song. Oele shows a different side to her musicality. It makes Dust Chaser more dimensional, so more varied and interesting. The mystery and beauty comes with a bite in 2024.

I have never seen VanWyck live. This is going to change in a few weeks. I have no idea what to expect, except that the music will take concentration from the listeners. If people start talking, it will be hell. Otherwise it may well be a mesmerising experience. On the basis of the three albums I know, expectations are high and because of Dust Chaser even higher.

Wout de Natris - van den Borght

You can listen to and order Dust Chaser here:

https://vanwyck.bandcamp.com/album/dust-chaser