The Best Songs in Dallas Music, 2009: Seryn and "We Will All Be Changed" Grab Our Attention at No. 18

[Editor's Note: Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be presenting my favorite local songs of the year, counting down from No. 25 to No. 1, one track a day. Today, we take an in-depth look at song No. 18 on the list--and click after the jump for a free download of the track. Lastly, keep checking back to see how the list pans out, and, also after the jump, check out songs No. 40-26 in the Top 40 list that will update as it grows...]

No. 18: Seryn -- "We Will All Be Changed"

It's funny how quickly things come to pass in a local music scene.

One moment, a musician can simply be walking down Fry Street in Denton, strumming a guitar on his way home, thinking about getting a band together. Then, a couple weeks later, that same musician's new band can immediately be considered among the region's top new, young acts--and with a ringing endorsement from a premiere, more established regional band, to boot.

Which, of course, is the story of how the heart-tugging and uplifting baroque folk outfit Seryn came to be such a force in the local scene so quickly. (The band that endorsed Seryn, by the way? Telegraph Canyon, which, shortly after discovering Seryn, asked the band to open its Good Records CD release show.)

Bonus mp3:

Seryn -- "We Will All Be Changed"

But a single endorsement alone does not a band make; the band, of course, has to stand on its own merit. And the Denton-based Seryn proves quite capable on that front, displaying a maturity far greater than its eight-month-old existence would imply. Nowhere else is this baby band's promise more evident than in its rousing anthem, "We Will All Be Changed."

The song starts off innocently enough as a catchy folk pop ditty with its pretty acoustic flourishes and hints of mature vocal harmonies. Then, just over a minute into the song--quite suddenly-- there's a change of pace, one that juxtaposes the beautiful folk of the song's start with a rousing, chant-along chorus. On record, it's makes for a fine device. Live, however, it serves as an instant wake-up call, providing a infectious energy surge to the band's surrounding environment.

It's clear enough from first listen that the musicianship and songwriting prowess is there with this new act, whose brief catalog showcases a heavy Arcade Fire influence in its decidedly less heavy fare. This exhilarating first impression serves too as a fine introduction to a band well worth keeping tabs on as it continues to grow, gaining both experience and exposure in the process.

The Top 40 Local Songs of 2009

(Links to music videos and free song downloads available where applicable; links to streams where neither a download nor video exists.)

40.The Wax Museums

"Safety in Numbers"
39.Macon Greyson

"Pushing Strings"
38.The Burning Hotels

"Austin's Birthday"

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37.The Riverboat Gamblers

-- "DissDissDissKissKissKiss" (

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