Inside Dyke Den
Words by
Triston Scales
"Darlynn is an Oakland-based duo composed of Daria Lourd (aka Bored Lord) and her wife, vocalist Jaelynn Walls. Dyke Den is a lesbian love story about two creative individuals finding each other and themselves through effusive and contemplative sonic avenues. Created in their home over the course of two years, this album speaks to the journey of Daria and Jaelynn’s romantic relationship as well as their evolving combined creative impulses. On Dyke Den, Darlynn display their influences – from Janet Jackson and Sly & the Family Stone, to Frankie Knuckles and Larry Levan – in a sophisticated, fully realized, and overtly queered fashion."
HELLLLLO YAPPERS & MUSIC LOVERS ALIKE
Today we’re diving into Dyke Den, the debut album from Darlynn, the duo of Daria Lourd (aka Bored Lord) and her wife, vocalist Jaelynn Walls, released with the label Dark Entries.
Daria mentioned in an interview with Ableton that “it’s important if you’re making an album to know what the universe is that you’re creating” (Ableton Article). I respect the commitment to world-building, but when I hold this up against her solo work & the intricate electronic architectural layers of her beats overall, this duo debut feels noticeably less complex. Solo, Bored Lord basically kills it, and I was expecting that same level of pattern change and depth here.
There are definitely moments when the universe they’ve sort of curated comes through in specific technical choices. “Make Yr Move” and “Like A Summer” have some old-school foundations, and “can’t sleep” is one of my favorites because I’m obsessed with the jazz-esque bass and the synth work. On “Alright with me,” I’m a sucker for the vocal chops and what sounds like some synth vibrato. Daria explicitly noted using a vibrato VST on her monosynths to emulate the crying sound of a slide guitar to play with the listener’s feelings on a previous project, so I definitely believe some of that is still at play in this one. “Love Letter” closes the album with layered harmonies that attempt to anchor the project’s thesis of hope.
My rating: 4.5/10
I’m rating this a 4.5/10. While it has potential, it ultimately lacks the depth necessary. I don’t think the beats were bad, but they often sat back to highlight the vocals, and the vocals simply weren’t strong enough to drive the rest of the album forward. Overall, the project feels very static, and my least favorite was “The Feeling.” The beat was solid, but the vocals felt repetitive and didn’t provide enough of a push.
The vocals often felt dry. Daria has noted in the past that she uses distortion as a “punk element” to help vocals cut through the mix, but I found it lacked the necessary warmth. Furthermore, the off-pitch elements, which she calls an “old-school sample style,” in which elements shift in time and pitch, somehow left me with less emotional catharsis than what I’m sure was intended.
Dark Entries is a label dedicated to documenting underground queer histories, and Dyke Den certainly fits that mission, featuring striking artwork by Hailee Va and a sleeve by the visionary Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh. It’s a sophisticated “portrait of love,” but as a producer, I wanted more of that Bored Lord intricacy. I’m excited to see how they continue to curate their sound together, but for now, I await their next duo release.
What do you think?
Their Bandcamp: https://boredlord.bandcamp.com/album/dyke-den