Dysmusia does not treat romance as a neat and tidy business on “In your eyes”. And let’s face it; it rarely is. His latest single deals with a relationship that has gone through repeated breakups and reunions, but there is a looseness to the writing that keeps the subject from becoming overly serious.
That comes through in the details. He describes having “a thousand locusts” in his head when he tries to shift his attention away from his former partner, an unusual image that gives the opening verse plenty of personality. Later, the lyrics “I’ll move a little closer” pushes the song in a more hopeful direction, even though Dysmusia remains unsure about where things might lead.
The writing has a good balance of sincerity and wit. He is clearly taking the situation seriously, but he also allows himself to sound human rather than polished at every turn. That makes the song feel like it belongs to a real relationship rather than an idealised version of one.
Musically, Dysmusia brings together the warmth of acoustic folk with a more energetic indie-rock approach. The dropped-tuned acoustic guitar gives the track its weight, while the second guitar in standard tuning adds contrast and helps fill out the arrangement.
There is also a pleasing sense of movement in the song itself. Dysmusia starts with uncertainty, considers what might happen next and eventually reaches the point where he is ready to find out.
With more than 1,000 radio plays in six months, including airplay on BBC Radio Wales, “In your eyes” arrives with some momentum behind it. More importantly, it shows an artist with a clear knack for turning complicated feelings into songs that remain approachable and full of character.