Austin, Texas-born, LA-based artist, DLG. releases his latest project Characters, recounting his journey and experiences since moving to the famed City of Angels. The artist has been setting himself apart as a sonically versatile musician with his famously multidimensional and genre-bending music, and this project epitomises that, recounting these anecdotes and characters met along the way. Buckle up and get ready for the most vibrant and jazzy trip down memory lane from DLG.
Pre-released and pre-loved tracks on this project set the tone, from album opener Dive In to fan favourite Kung Fu. The former opens the album with twinkling piano keys, and immediately you’re hooked. The textured vocals are carved out, puncturing a preceding silence before challenging listeners to contemplate the relationship between passion and obsession in chasing your dreams. Kung Fu is opened by this wavy jazz vibrato to recount this tale of yearning and obsession. Flipping the love song on its’ head, the song follows the way obsession torments DLG., as these feelings become all consuming, singing “you got my attention now, always seems to knock me out.” Over My Head picks again with its’ dreamy melody and hazy vocals, suspending listeners in this floating sensation of being overwhelmed, matched by the distinct sway of the synths in the background.
Collaborations are also a strong feature on this project, featuring healy on a track and working with Koastle on another. In Strangers, DLG. translates this instant connection, inspired by his girlfriend, one of the first people he met after moving to LA, who, as the song suggests, never felt like a stranger. The track showcases Koastle’s unique production style, enhancing DLG.’s signature vocals. No Slack brings healy into the fold, offering a laid-back vibe to layer introspective lyrics on his experiences in LA and pursuing a career in music, that “this city don’t cut me no slack.”
New on the album are tracks Icy and It’s All Good. The former takes the project in a different direction, with the funky guitar riff repeating in the background as he reflects on the souring of a relationship. In the latter, DLG. continues his introspective journey from No Slack, reckoning with ideas of belonging and feeling “always been a little more lost than found” as he takes on this more melancholic sound.
DLG., aka David de la Garza, has steadily made his mark on 2024 already. With such strong sonic power, it’s no real surprise; influences that can be spotted are from the likes of Glass Animals, Mac Miller, and of course these Jazz features that take centre stage. DLG. blends these genres and sounds together into perfect harmony. His style and charm that sets him apart has already made him a frequent playlist addition for thousands. As this new project crystallises this place as a playlist hero, we can’t wait to see what’s next in store for DLG.