Review: Dylan - The Greatest Thing I’ll Never Learn
Dylan
The Greatest Thing I’ll Never Learn
Suffolk Singer-songwriter Dylan blends stellar songwriting and thrilling pop-punk on a collection that perfectly captures her personality and future stardom
★★★★★
A key element that elevates a good Pop song into a truly great one is relatable emotion and Dylan channels it effortlessly.
Suffolk Singer-songwriter Natasha Woods better known as Dylan has been on a phenomenal rise these past twelve months. She’s gone from blowing us away when she supported Bastille back in the spring to supporting Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium. That’s not to mention stealing hearts at her hometown festival Latitude, catching the attention of BBC, NME and The Guardian, as well as selling out tour dates left, right and centre in between.
It’s fair to say she’s also been a firm soundtrack to the whole of 2022 after kicking off the year with her incredible ‘No Romeo’ EP. The collection featured the stellar title track alongside fellow phenomenal pop singles ‘Nineteen’ and ‘You’re Not Harry Styles’. It was an early indication of a pop superstar due to the way in which Dylan blends inescapably catchy pop melodies with relatable and emotional songwriting that strikes a chord with any listener.
With her new mixtape, as the title ‘The Greatest Thing I’ll Never Learn’ suggests; Self-worth, heartache and making the best out of a bad situation are key themes when it comes to Dylan’s empowering pop. You can’t help but feel empathetic with Dylan’s plight on ‘Girl Of Your Dreams’ as she laments drinking to unsuccessfully forget her ex, frustrated they can't see she's simply the girl of their dreams.
These sentiments are juxtaposed with the joyful and youthful abandonment of ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’, a pure piece of pop paradise. Its sugary sweet chorus is destined to be echoed back at Dylan for years to come. Its accompanying video also offers the perfect glimpse of Dylan’s warm and welcoming personality. A great popstar is one whose struggles and success you can share in and their songwriting feels just as personal to you as it is to them. Dylan does this in bucketloads, none more so than on ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’.
A devoted fan of hard glam rock legends such as Aerosmith, AC/DC and Guns N’ Roses her sound also has a distinct full rock out guitar riff edge that sets her far apart from her contemporaries. None more so than on the distorted punky ‘Treat You Bad’ or the rivetingly wild chorus of ‘Lovestruck’.
‘The Greatest Thing I’ll Never Learn’ also isn’t afraid to show a softer side with the likes of the power ballad ‘Blue’ that perfectly channels the feeling of loss and yearning for an ill-fated relationship featuring a bridge Taylor Swift would be proud of. Finally, the acoustic closer ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’ highlights the dynamic vocal range Dylan can achieve, yes she can belt out a pop-rock anthem, but she can channel that emotion destructively delicately as well.
Dylan isn’t simply Pop, Punk or Rock, she’s the best of all three and a future superstar in the making.