Dan Dyer - "...Of What Lies Beneath"(Roxie Records, 2004) - * * *

Dan Dyer doesn't seem to want to talk much about his history as a musician. On his website he sums it up something like this: he played in a band in Austin for four years, toured constantly and became bored with it. By luck, he met Lenny Kravitz. He got lucky again when Kravitz created Roxie Records, as part of Warner's Reprise label. Having heard a record Dyer recorded in the past, Kravitz signed Dyer to Roxie Records, and produced this new album. Talk about a ton of luck, almost too much to believe.

It's also hard to believe how good "… Of What Lies Beneath" is. That's what I thought, anyway, until I read the liner notes, and found that Lenny Kravitz wrote or co-wrote ninety percent of the album. He also played ninety percent of the music on the album. So what could I make of an artist like Dyer, who claimed to have built his reputation on years of playing and touring, when his "big break" album is essentially Kravitz's tenth solo record?

The thing is, the album stands up well. And while Kravitz did have his hand in about fifty cookie jars here, Dyer's got his stamp on the album as well. The tunes are all catchy, and Dyer has a smooth voice that really gels with the psychedelic guitar sounds that make up the album as a whole. Songs like "Space Alien" are absolutely surreal, while others like "Great Ocean" and the title track are catchy enough to be overplayed by radio stations across the country.

After several repeat listens, I started wondering how much of an impact working with Dyer had on Kravitz's album "Baptism". Because the parallels are evident, particularly in the risks taken in putting hooks over substance, which works for the most part. None of these songs have lyrics that caught my ear on their own accord. But I keep finding myself humming "And If I" and "Stereosonic", songs that are almost as mind-bendingly catchy as Kravitz's "Why Are We Running?"

I'd urge you to log onto Napster and download a couple tracks to hear for yourself. I'm not sure what to make of Dyer, he's clearly talented, the album's a solid effort. But I think if he wants to avoid the sophomore slump, he'll need to break away from Kravitz and show that he's more than lucky. Whether he'll have a career beyond this album is the question. I'm afraid we might only remember him five years from now as Kravitz's attempt at developing a groove rock protégé.

Music:
Dan Dyer - "Great Ocean"
Dan Dyer - "Of What Lies Beneath"
Dan Dyer - "And If I"