Review from the UK's Reprobate mag:

One of the great mysteries of modern day music for me is the inexplicable rise of the EP. I just don’t get it. Singles, yes – a bite-size nugget that leaves you wanting more, either a snapshot in time or a teaser of what’s to come. Albums, obviously, I understand those, a collection of tracks which act as a milestone of some kind, a statement or stopping-off point from which to reflect and move forward. EPs. “We nearly had enough tracks for an album”. The end.
This is Dyr Faser’s sixth release with Eric Boomhower and Amelia May in partnership steering the ship and the band’s first full-lengther in eleven attempts. Dyr Faser has shifted stylistically over their releases and in this respect, their many EP releases have made sense, little sojourns to test the water without confusing listeners as to why they should commit to them long-term. It makes sense then that Private Islands is cohesive in tone and succeeds entirely because this allows for a truly immersive experience. Truly immersive as it sounds as though it was recorded under the sea.
This is not meant as a negative. Dyr Faser would easily get dragged into the Shoegaze scene by some – maybe even themselves, who knows, but to me they follow the lineage of Krautrock Gods of yore. If you consider the alien synthetic genius of Cluster, this is their cyborg octopus descendent, ever-unravelling tentacles of reverb guitar cast forth from a stainless steel brain. Their own description on Soundcloud refers to themselves as “Twisted Exotica”, which is entirely plausible – if Hawaii or Java sank, you would probably hear Dyr Faser if you cupped a cowrie shell to your ear. Only on the penultimate track, Not the Other Side Again (magnificent titling, guys) does it feel like we ever come near to the shoreline, and, even then, only in some kind of crab-like scouting vehicle to survey the damage.
Private Islands sees Eric playing bass and synths as well as vocals on We All Like the Same Things, with Amelia playing guitar and all other vocals, often a stream of controlled birdsong, an Edda Dell’Orso-like ear-bath. A vintage drum machine keeps time throughout – not necessarily with the songs themselves but more like an old grandfather clock reassuringly doing its own thing in another room. Equal parts devotional and psychedelic, it’s a testament to how structuring compositions in and around each other can be a transcendental experience. Excellent stuff.
- Daz Lawrence
reprobatepress.com/2019/04/27/dyr-fasers-private-islands/

Review from David D. Smith:

In 1984 I purchased a Boss DD-2 Digital Delay pedal, brought it back to my dorm room, and (with a Fostex 4-Track, 10W Gorilla amp, $99 Hondo guitar, Casio keyboard/drum-machine) started noodling for the next many years. Something about that pedal added a different dimension to the noodling, whether gentle echoes or thick layers or syncopation or softness or knob-twisting noise.
When I heard Dyr Faser (first @ Store54, circa Eric & Thalia; and since with Amelia & Eric), it conjured echoes of ideas that had bounced around in my imagination back then. I heard things hypnotic, computed, primitive, frankly often unintelligible, a sort-of vision both consistent and evolving. EP's were tapas dishes of right-sized dreamy pop earworms. The rich muddiness of the vocals, interwoven guitar & synth lines, and drum machine - hitting a sweet spot for me. Thus, I find myself championing this band.
With "Private Islands" (no tapas here, a full course meal) the formula hasn't changed but the combination of ingredients in the recipe is elevated. Amelia's soft, strong, sirenic, and (what's another "s" adjective?) sublime (sure, that works) vocals are pushed up front. Eric on bass is another notable change; the musical funnel clouds their previous work now get a stronger pulse ... and a walk ... and a groove. Likewise, the delicate guitar lines & sweeps by Amelia.
"X X V" borrows from the palette of The Cure, and Amelia's voice stands out - pleading, and straight ahead piercing. "This Is Your Life" is a gem, emotive voice & harmonies on a Cocteau Twins souvenir pillow. Eric gently surges ahead with "We All Like the Same Things", dryly delivering the lines "cool heads prevail, sharp minds reveal" (at least that's what I think I hear) like a latter-day Thurston. "Not the Other Side Again" features Amelia the chanteuse, channeling Portishead, and as is evident throughout the album the squeaks and squonks hint at the fun these two had recording this. “Invisible World” is a beautiful end to this album, evoking the sounds of the aforementioned souvenir pillow.
Good job guys.
- David D. Smith, Boston MA

Review from Belgium’s Turn Up The Volume:

Once again imaginative Boston duo DYR FASER consisting of Eric Boomhower and Amelia May shows their love for coloring outside of the lines. Far-out is their normal.
They are natural born atmosphere explorers. They operate in a sonic cocoon of their own.
Their brand new track ‘NOT THE OTHER SIDE AGAIN’, from their upcoming LP, confirms what they’ve done so many times before but, as usual, in a different way. Here’s another mind trip, another soothing meditation, another tranquilizing fantasy. Spacey, playful guitars and hazy vocals float all over an ongoing repetitive bass beat and transfer you to never-never land away from our stressful reality. Don’t hesitate, dream here…
- Turn Up The Volume
turnupthevolume.blog/2019/04/28/boston-duo-dyr-faser-tranfers-you-to-never-never-land-with-new-track-not-the-other-side-again/

Review from Bored In Pittsburgh blog:

Today’s find is “Not The Other Side Again” by the Boston, MA duo Dyr Faser, the first track released from the upcoming album Private Islands. Amelia May’s guitar work is the defining feature, a shimmering, freeform haze that swirls around a ticking, electronic bossa nova beat as if being blown by a lazy breeze. May also contributes vocals, which are coated in so many effects that it renders most lyrics indecipherable. Her singing style hearkens back to the dark, dour sound of early goth, and the layers of echoey reverb only reinforce the comparison. Eric Boomhower contributes a meandering bass line, which anchors the spacious, airy instrumental. Overall, the scene conjured by “Not The Other Side Again” is that of a dimly lit, underground cafe in some small town in Brazil, populated by coffee-drinking, dark-clothed pale people swaying to a grim tropical rhythm. Dyr Faser may have invented a new genre here: Gotha Nova (terrible pun, I apologize). Perfect song for this gray, damp Sunday.
- Ben Gibbons
boredinpittsburgh.home.blog/2019/04/28/daily-discovery-dyr-fraser-not-the-other-side-again/