When deciding which submissions to cover, we’re guided by one core principle as writers at IAAS Music: the overall focus on any piece we cover by an independent artist should be predominantly positive. This is something I wanted to highlight, as a fascinating submission from Lynn Dossenbach certainly inspired me to get writing – yet, I’m hyper-aware that this article contains a lot of constructive feedback. There are areas on her latest EP COMBINATION that were perfectly executed examples of unique acoustic pop, but equally others straying into the realm of being too close to artists I assume Dossenbach drew inspiration from. Commercial pop music is difficult, so let’s see where this EP got it right… and equally, where it maybe went amiss.

The titular opening track had me hooked and committed to reviewing this submission. I will quickly say, though, there’s a single critique that I’ll get out the way: a couple of moments during this song felt like the lyrics had been crammed into the track. I’ve met people who write songs in different ways, so I might be wrong, but this felt like the lyrics had been written on a page before the instrumental got behind it. Often, I’ve seen others write songs with the band first, then mumble words until they fit. There’s no correct way to write music, and ultimately if you finish with a song – as Dossenbach has succeeded in achieving – then it works. Nevertheless, a couple lines felt slightly clunky and made me wonder about the process. It’s not a bad thing, but I believe it’s not the intended desire to almost break the fourth wall of listening to a song that, for the most part, comes across as very intentional in its execution.

That said, I believe Dossenbach has done a brilliant job in song crafting the opening track. The song is absolutely commercial pop, echoing sounds made familiar by artists like Taylor Swift, yet harnessing enough uniqueness you would expect a Swiss-born songwriter residing in Liverpool to wield.

The second track, Anzeichen, is – believe it or not – sung in German. Now, I have to admit, I am a man with the capacity to enjoy songs I don’t understand the lyrics of. This is evidenced in an article published earlier this year, where I ranked a few of my favourite songs I don’t understand. However, these are appreciated in isolation. In the context of an EP or album, I believe it’s much more difficult to pull off.

There’s moments in songs that have worked with language curveballs; a perfect example being The Professor and La Fille Danse by Damien Rice. An entire, beautifully crafted storytelling song, ending in a verse and chorus sung in French, with the instrumental style shifting to match. My point is – it can be done. Anzeichen, though, I believe was at a disservice through context. Combinations opens in full pop mode, presenting easily consumable sounds that I believe anyone could enjoy. So Anzeichen, albeit being very impressive, broke the EP into a different category.

Perhaps this was intentional! Unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Granted, it may be because of my own shortcomings in being monolingual with a sprinkle of basic French – if the song's primary focus is on storytelling through lyrics, it would've been lost on me through language. I certainly found it unexpected for an EP that is mostly English sung contemporary pop.

Don't get me wrong, there's still plenty to enjoy on this track – the production style, particularly in the small shift for the chorus, creates an engaging sound with plenty of vocal variety throughout the track to keep listeners grooving.

Pressure On My Chest, despite being in the difficult spot of recapturing my engagement following the momentary switch to German was a refreshingly raw and acoustic track, leaning on an acoustic guitar and vocals for the first minute. Even after this, the producers are delicate with their additions, ensuring the overall atmosphere is consistent. The falsetto and softly sung backing vocals gave the track a level of depth and beauty that strayed far from the opening tracks’ commercial pop identity (or second tracks funky German vibes!). I did feel at points the lyrics had the same indication of the song Combinations, but upon re-listening this became less evident. Perhaps the rhythmic and rhyming style was growing on me or started to feel more fitting. 

Hopes & Dreams opens sounding like a Taylor Swift B-side. I’m not 100% sure if that’s brilliant for a pop track, or perhaps flying too close to the sun for me. However, this is only the case at the absolute beginning of the track. After roughly 40 seconds, the guitar and vocals are joined up, and we’re given a full folk onslaught with banjos, walking baselines and a fiddle.

The vocals continue to sound similar to Taylor Swift – however there’s a clearer identity breaking away from the typical commercial pop sound. It’s almost impossible to not tap your foot along with the track, which transported me into a small village pub in my head, full of working-class people singing with joy about their own hopes and dreams. The additional ambient vocal tracks do a wonderful job to soundscape this piece. I often fall into the grumpy-old-man crowd that dislikes the non-musical additions – but in this instance it’s done flawlessly and offered a brilliant unique listening experience.

The Toxic One closes the EP out. And in full advocacy of transparency? I still don’t know how to feel. The first 30 seconds, despite teasing a funky guitar riff, were possibly too slow in hindsight compared to the rest of the track. After this introduction, you have a catchy chorus surrounded by verses that are musically intricate and complex – similar to K-pop artists.

Whilst certain points of the album felt like an attempt to recreate top-tier commercial pop artists, there’s absolutely no argument that Dossenbach shows complete confidence in creating tracks without the constraints of genre. The group of songs do find a way to work harmoniously, despite being a mixture of pop, folk, acoustic singer-songwriter and funk. In total honesty, The Toxic One sonically did feel like the best fit for her vocals.

Overall, this EP is incredibly impressive. There’s such a large variety of genres and sounds, and somehow Dossenbach stamps her own unique spin on these to define her own sound. It’s an incredible first introduction to her sound, and I’ll be very pleased to follow her clearly blossoming career.

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You can keep up with Lynn Dossenbach on her Spotify, website, and Instagram. Stream her debut EP, Combinations, now!