Dylan Gossett came out of nowhere with the viral release of his second single “Coal” in July, but with his first project hitting streaming platforms today, Gossett proves he’s here to stay.
The Austin, TX based Gossett released his first single “To Be Free” in June to moderate but impressive success considering his relative obscurity. “Coal” followed just a month later, and thanks in large part to Tik-Tok virality, has amassed well over 30 million Spotify streams in just a few months, leading up to the release of his third single “Beneath Oak Trees” earlier this month.
Now with his six-track No Better Time EP out in the world, featuring the aforementioned singles and three brand new tunes, any questions surrounding the flukey nature of Gossett’s quick success have been put to rest.
Gossett’s lyricism is relatively simple yet incredibly powerful, utilizing a tasteful amount of metaphors and imagery to help the listener paint a scene with his words, but leaving enough of the setting up to imagination so that everyone can find their own story and meaning in his words. The song content brings about a healthy degree of self-deprecating introspection, all while staying cautiously optimistic for some sort of idealistic life brought about by love, an appreciation for the natural world, and an opportunistic attitude.
Reminiscent of Zach Bryan in his early back porch YouTube days, Dylan Gossett is raw, but there’s no denying he’s real, and we’ll all be watching his nascent career continue to take off. So, without further ado, from love songs to murder ballads, dive into Dylan Gossett’s debut EP No Better Time.
“Beneath Oak Trees”
“Don’t you know of the road that never has an end
Cross over lines, smell the pines from the places we have been
Stand here now and just know that these words will never change
And put your palms into mine so our hearts can beat the same”
“No Better Time”
“Well a quarter in a fountain means that people still have dreams
And a token in a pocket means people can come clean
Come on, boy, don’t be afraid to start
‘Cause sweat on your skin’s better than regret on your heart”
“To Be Free”
“Cardboard houses are up for sale
Grass is green and the flowers smell
Don’t you dare be quiet, let me hear you yell
Let’s build a staircase to the stars
Take a trip around mars
We can’t get there if we never start
‘Cause it’s alright
‘Til you lose your mind
So, save your time while it’s cheap”
“Lone Ole Cowboy”
“I’m a man with a gun shaking in my hand
And they got me in a bind, and I’m running out of land
Well, I hear the bullets fly as I make my final stand
I’m a man with a gun shaking in my hand
Well, I’m just a man with a past, and a whole lot of pride
A heartbroke cowboy with pain deep inside
Take me away, take my very life
But I did what I did, and now I’ve gotta die”
“Flip a Coin”
“Oh, ’cause if you leave behind your worries like a bandit on the run
I swear you’ll be just fine, at least until the morn
Sometimes we’re livin’ just to die
What does it take to feel alive?
Do you need the lows to love the highs?”
“Coal”
“And through unfavored weather
And holes in the leather
These boots still covered in tar
I’m still prayin’ to the heavens
And hopin’ for them sevens
But hope only gets a man so far when
This game of life plays heavy on my heart and
Love is tough, but loneliness is twice as hard and
I’ll carry that ’bout everywhere I go
And they say pressure makes diamonds, how the hell am I still coal?”
