Cinematic Synth-Punk Rockers [DARYL] Release Conceptual Joint Albums ‘The Wasted Casualties’ And ‘I Dream Alone’

If John Hughes and John Carpenter made a movie together, [DARYL] might just be the soundtrack.

The long-standing Dallas, Texas band has entertained audiences since 1999, harnessing their love of 80s music and cinema. They curate their energetic sound with vintage synths and catchy, ferocious post-punk rock n’ roll. And today, [DARYL] has released their long-awaited conceptual joint album, The Wasted Casualties and I Dream Alone, via Idol Records, both clocking in with seven electrifying tracks each.

Conceptually, the albums’ theme is a continuation of the graphic novel, Slaves For Gods, created by lead singer and songwriter Dylan Silvers’ multimedia art project These Machines Are Winning. THE WASTED CASUALTIES story takes place in 1982 in Kingman, Arizona, as two rival gangs plan to thrash each other at the homecoming dance. Plans changed after they realized a satanic cult had already taken over Kingman High. ”The Final Process” had begun. The two rival gang leaders realize they have to work together to survive the night.

The I DREAM ALONE story takes place that same year, where a teenage girl named Jenny 001 and a computer who identifies as Daryl travel through time and space to Kingman to save what can not be saved. During their journey, Jenny spends most of her time with Daryl learning about The Tsar Bomba and watching 80s movies hoping to learn more about earth’s war machines.

Songs like “No More Secrets” and “Kimmy” shine off of The Wasted Casualties, both of which were released as singles in September, each accompanied by rad DIY 80s skate music videos (as linked in the titles).

I Dream Alone’s opening track, “Welcome to the Horror,” features the late Mars Williams on saxophone (Psychedelic Furs, Billy Idol, The Waitresses), instilling the tone and energy of what’s to follow.

Notable songs off of I Dream Alone include, “Mindy,” which is a track about a lonely girl who is contemplating suicide, but falls in love and is saved by her new relationship. The bright synth-heavy New Wave energy creates an instant and infectious earworm ripe for the replay button.

“Entertain Me Tonight,” another noteworthy track, tells a tale of two drunken homecoming dates hanging in the parking lot of their high school in Kingman, longing to stay with each other all night, never wanting their magical night come to an end. The cinematic 80s flair is strong, and it’s not hard to picture it in any number of iconic movies of that era. 

At its core, all of the tracks harken to the ups and downs and the pain and bliss of youth and coming of age — and it’s done in a unique sci-fi graphic novel type of way. 

Regarding what Silvers hopes these albums achieve, he states, “I get so much emotion and feeling from 80’s music and movies. I suppose it’s a childhood thing with warm memories, but some that are also really dark. I take from this concept of fictional story telling mixed with real life pain and blend them together. I HOPE the listeners might feel something familiar to them. A place in time that could be present, or it could be decades ago. It could be painful or a happy memory.” 

After releasing albums in both the U.S. and Japan, including three full-length albums and four EPs, the band embarked on a lengthy hiatus, though remaining close while pursuing other artistic projects. [DARYL] played shows periodically over the years before audaciously deciding to combine the talents of both long-term lineups and officially reforming as an 8-piece band in 2018 after being asked to play Dallas’s Homegrown Festival with Explosions in the Sky, The Black Angels, and Roky Erickson. After the festival, lead singer Dylan Silvers started writing songs that would become the band’s most ambitious recording project yet: a double album that split the band’s signature sound into two separate entities.

In addition to touring the U.S. for years and sharing stages with acts like Cheap Trick, The Black Keys, Ash, Old 97’s, Spoon and more, the band has worked with Grammy-winning producers Stuart Sikes (The White Stripes, Cat Power) and John Congleton (St. Vincent, Sigur Ros, Sleater Kinney).

In addition to [DARYL], Silvers is an active touring member of Polyphonic Spree. He’s also the creator and co-founder of Nuclear War Skills, a project that is a combination of musicians, filmmakers, comic artists, and political activists. Since 2012, they’ve been making graphic novels, records, hosting political festivals, humanitarian events and more. One of those political festivals he helped curate was Dallas’s Buffalo Tree Festival, which was created to inspire a movement where musicians and artists share their voices and show their support for candidates that will stand up for civil rights, our environment, racial equality, gun control, and more. Specifics of the 2018 festival were featured in SPIN, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and more.