Behold the most savage breakup line of the year thus far: “I’ve never seen someone look like such a pile of twisted lies.” So repeats the title track to Daniel Francis Doyle’s latest offering, a seven-song EP that’s emotionally naked and surprisingly fun. This time out, the Austinite’s continually interesting songwriting transmits via lean, arty indie-pop. That’s a far cry from 2009’s We Bet Our Money on You, more representative of DFD’s solo performances: bashing drums and singing over mathy, noisy loops. On DFD’s sophomore offering, Luis Martinez’s boom-clack rhythms and Nemir Naayem’s pulsing bass achieve remarkable bounce, over which Doyle’s lovely David Byrne-like tenor laments hit-and-runs with love. “You had that gift/ You knew how to make me want to die,” he sings on playlist-worthy single “I Had to Do It.” Remarkably honest and unrestrained, DFD’s lyrics don’t exactly soothe heartache, but they do convey the necessary catharsis.
This article appears in April 19 • 2019.