Two Songs You Should Hear By Rory D’Lasnow
PHOTO: Rory D'Lasnow by Kris Khunachak
Bergen County singer-songwriter-guitarist Rory D’Lasnow has a way with words. His latest two original tunes—“Maybe Tonight” and “Real”—come complete with multi-tracked harmonics. “Maybe Tonight” is a gorgeous dreamscape of a song, like “I’m Not The One” by The Cars or “I’m Not In Love” by 10cc. It’s wistful, sentimental without being mawkish, as his delicate acoustic nimbly aids and abets his melodic inventions and the harmonies swirl atop it all. His thoughtful message is universal. “Both of these songs,” explains D’Lasnow, “touch on that feeling when you’ve given up on love and you meet somebody that changes your mind for the better.”
He admits he’s going through a “rough stretch of late and I’m trying to stay positive.” Music is a healing balm for such pitfalls. So is being on a stage. To that end, he’s had tremendous success on stages across the country from New York City and Philadelphia to Memphis and Nashville. His set on “The Blue Plate Special,” broadcast on Tennessee radio station WDVX in Knoxville was met with raves. He’s played Johnny Depp’s notorious Viper Room in West Hollywood where actor River Phoenix and singer Courtney Love both overdosed. Love survived but Phoenix didn’t. INXS singer played his last gig there before taking his own life. Luckily, D’Lasnow is too grounded to pay that kind of price for his art.
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“Real” is a jolt of electricity like sticking your finger in a hot outlet. It has all the rock’n’roll smarts with a driving passion that underlies its yearning optimism. The dramatic mid-song break might be something D’Lasnow could expound upon in future songs. It just sounds so good. When it crash-lands to a close by stopping on a dime, you’re going to want to play it again. And again.