Learning DVSN - A Muse In Her Feelings (Album Review)
I remember back in 2016 when Drake or another member of OVO first shared one of DVSN’s earliest singles. It was on SoundCloud, it was either “Too Deep”, “SEPT 5th”, or “Hallucinations”, maybe all of them. I remember immediately thinking “wow, I can’t share this shit with anyone”, even though it was so vibey. Right off bat I knew the sound was different and special, with unique elements – but I knew even my friends that were into R&B would be thrown off. Extremely high falsettos on top of overly spacey electronic synths- it was just too weird, but also, so good. To this day, SEPT 5th is on of my favourite albums. I couldn’t really tell you any song names, but the combination of all those songs together is a huge vibe. I’ve yet to hear anything like that since.
In 2017, DVSN dropped their second project, Morning After. Once I heard it I knew the feelings I had about these guys early was right, they made incredible music, and this cemented that. It would be hard for me to say that I like their second album more than the first, just because of how crazy the blending of sounds on SEPT 5th is to this day. I can’t really compare the two. That being said though, “Don’t Choose” was the lead single for Morning After, and it slapped. It was in rotation for months and it was the first time I could be like “yo check out this DVSN song”, because it was undeniable. Once I got to listen to Morning After in its entirety, I was reminded that these guys have a special place in Music. The music that they created was and is so special. We discussed the sounds of this album briefly in our latest episode, check it out.
We talked about how the album had more conventional R&B vibes on songs like “Mood”, with added production on stuff like “Nuh Time/Tek Time” and “Think About Me”, but my personal favourites were “Run Away” and “Morning After”, the intro and title tracks, both of which sounded like nothing that I had heard before, and haven’t heard since. I didn’t notice at the time, but this was their second project without a single feature. All in house. However, this is when their sound became more accessible. A lot of artists COULD have been on these tracks, but DVSN didn’t even have to use them. The sound opened up though, and brought DVSN into a tier with the some of the biggest names in R&B, whom would eventually work with DVSN all over A Muse In Her Feelings.
A Muse In Her Feelings was their first album to hold features, which were scattered throughout the project. The impact that these guys had with their earlier work is indicative of the talent they were able to collaborate with on A Muse In Her Feelings; PartyNextDoor, Jessie Reyez, Future, Ty Dolla $ign, Buju Banton, Popcaan, Summer Walke, Snoh Alegra, and Shantel May, all participate in the sonic painting that is A Muse In Her Feelings.
With this album, DVSN continued to share production is like none other. Nineteen-85 (the producer in the duo) has hits scattered over the Billboard charts, but his sound is best represented under the voice of Daniel Daily (the vocalist in the duo), through the success of DVSN. This is the most accessible their work has been. They’ve blown open up their palette, allowing listeners to cross genres into a fun, moody, piece of work that can only be described as a sonic painting. We’re sure that DVSN will be ushering in new fans through this album, not only because of their features, but because of the sonically-inviting tracks like:
No Good
Still Pray For You
Miss Me?
No Cryin (ft. Future)
Dangerous City (ft. Ty Dolla $ign, Buju Banton)