Self-professed “adjacent country music” specialist Skinny Dyck (the crudely witty alias of Canadian countryman Ryan Dyck) returns with new single “Claws In Me,” his first release since the serene 2025 album More Easy. In the style of Dyck’s lighthearted twang, this latest track is a sweet addition to his jangling repertoire of West Canadian country with a new-timer’s touch.
A revelrous, good-humored tune, “Claws In Me” particularly embodies Dyck’s smoothly self-assured persona, as his nasally drawl reassuringly warbles, “Why am I looking for a Bible verse/Gonna change the course of my universe/At the end of the road I’ll find my way.” It’s a honky tonk, boot-stomping number close to the spirit of old-fashioned Hank Williams or Marty Robbins, one that’s almost so cheerful you’d never expect what the jaunty major chords hide. In an Instagram post, Dyck dedicates the track to “all my friends in AA, those who still darken the door of the church they grew up in and my step-Dad’s new wife (why’d you leave?).” Deeply more complicated than it appears, perhaps the dichotomous nature of the lively release makes sense—with a last name like Dyck, what else is a guy supposed to do but get good at making jokes before someone else can?
Released with the Canadian labels Victory Pool Music and Bucket Of Oranges, created in tandem with other Canadians like producer Del Barbe, the release is the child of its countryland, recorded primarily in Winnipeg in October last year. Nothing about the homeliness feels drab, however. In fact, the track is closer to Dorothy’s yellow brick road than some unassuming country path. Take the vaguely surrealist cover artwork, featuring Dyck lounging in an orange tiled hot tub (head full of hair) toying with an electric keyboard next to a Peavey speaker and open drink; a vibrant yet laid back image rolled into one.
Electric and jubilant, “Claws In Me” is an absurdly charming incantation for turning real life into a good dream. Even at times where hope feels far away, with this latest release Skinny Dyck brings it all home.