Dylan James Brock recorded a 9 song EP in the projects where he lived, an eleven-story mental hospital where the therapy of choice was crack cocaine. Locked in his bedroom for a good week, leaving only to walk to the local Burger King to use its wifi, he made “Down the Mad River.” It draws from all throughout his eight years of songwriting.

Meant to be a stripped bare highlight of his best songs, “Down the Mad River” is humble, subtle debut from a man known for neither of these qualities, if he is known at all. His journey through his years of songwriting has taken him through three of New York City’s five boroughs, from a regular stint at the late CBGBs to nice nights at Pete’s Candy Store and NorthSix, and on to a rainy Queens show thanks to that Michigan patron Brandon Zwagerman.

All along, there have been these songs, and though he wishes he could have afforded higher quality recordings, Dylan hopes you can forgive the questionable production and listen deep, through its ringing reverberations, to the melodic core herein. So whether you’re looking for a detailed account of a naked night in a lake outside of Ann Arbor, or you want self-aware novelty work, or you want it all for better or worse, these songs stand, waiting for you to take them for what they are.

Perhaps someday Mr. Brock will be able to finance the noises in his head, but until then, bareness will have to do. Now out of the projects and in a better place, he hopes that these songs will raise you up in life the way he has been raised up since the dark hours laying down his work the best he could with what he had. Listen to the songs of the songs. That’s all we can know and all we can ask.