Platitudes - For Dylan, Forever Ago

Platitudes
​
For Dylan, Forever Ago
self-released; 2025

By Jamie Funk

For Dylan, Forever Ago, the debut album from Platitudes, is a poignant meditation on loss, resilience, and the winding process of emotional recovery. The album draws from a broad palette of sounds including alt-country, classical, blues, pop, and folk. It nods to the introspective lyricism of Bon Iver, the narrative weight of Bill Callahan, and the melodic openness of Wilco. The result is a collection that resists easy classification and offers a deeply personal, stylistically varied reflection on grief.

The opening track, “Time to Come Home,” introduces the album with warmth and restraint. A gentle arrangement of piano, acoustic guitar, upright bass, and drums creates a soft foundation for the vocals to stretch out across. The lyrics are vulnerable and reflective, offering an intimate beginning that invites the listener into the emotional space of the record.

“Steel Umbrella” shifts the tempo and introduces a livelier energy. The full drum set drives the rhythm forward, while touches of organ and rich background vocals give the track a vintage soul feel. There is a slight 1950s and 1960s inflection in the instrumentation and vocal delivery, making it one of the more upbeat and charming tracks on the album.

With “Fade Away,” the tone darkens. The arrangement carries a heavier emotional weight, and the vocal style evokes the brooding presence of Nick Cave. The instrumentation remains grounded, but the atmosphere is more shadowed and reflective. “Floating Free” brings the listener back into a softer emotional register. It mirrors the mood and instrumentation of the opener, offering a quiet reprieve with its stripped-down sound and sense of stillness.

“No Nearer Getting Over You” stands as one of the most emotionally devastating songs on the album. The lyrics are raw and honest, touching on the disorientation that comes with grief and the difficulty of letting go. “Grey Light of Dawn” introduces a different vocalist, and the result is dreamlike and cinematic. It is a standout moment that feels slightly surreal, yet grounded in its emotional truth.

“Numbered Days” continues the theme of loss and mourning. The arrangement is minimal, allowing the lyrics to take center stage. It is a tender and sorrowful track that offers no easy answers. “Learning to Live Again” introduces a duet that leans into theatricality, resembling a moment pulled from a stage production. It is heartfelt and expressive, capturing the struggle of moving forward after a profound loss.

The album closes with “Song for My Daughters,” which shifts toward Americana and ends the collection on a cautiously hopeful note. It feels like a letter of love and resilience written in the wake of hardship. While the sadness remains, there is a sense of forward motion and purpose.

Throughout For Dylan, Forever Ago, Platitudes avoid settling into a single mood or genre. The shifting vocalists, varied instrumentation, and emotional range reflect the unpredictable nature of healing. This is an album that does not seek easy resolution. It offers instead an honest and deeply human portrait of grief in all its complexity.

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