The first time I met Rory Lynch was also my first time in Dublin, Ireland. Long story short, Rory and his brother got into an argument at the pub prompting them both to be kicked out, unbeknownst to me. I ended up sleeping on a bench that night, after some lovely Dubliners attempted to help me home.
That was in 2016, before Rory began publishing his music on major streaming services. At the time, Lynch was eager to perform and play live music; he covered Chance the Rapper’s “All Night“ at the pregame before we went out and even performed Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” at a traditional Irish Pub Session.
“Living in the U.S.A” is this week’s Philly Song of the Week because I haven’t been able to turn it off. Do you know how good someone’s music has to be to continue supporting them after they left you on a bench in Dublin?
Rory comes from Northeast Philadelphia, but has traveled a great deal providing him with a world of perspective to funnel into modern folk songs. It’s easy to doubt the credentials of a folk singer from the City, luckily Northeast Philadelphia is barely the city. Lynch’s free-flowing lifestyle partnered with the soul in his music make for some truly ground-breaking folk tunes.
Living in the U.S.A is a quintessential folk song. The song fits perfectly into Lynch’s discography which consistently analyzes the American experience from songs like Brooklyn to Trustafarian. Lynch’s music sounds like it was produced in a forgone era, yet the lyrics paint a perfect picture of modern America.
Listen to Rory’s most recent EP – Steal Away on all streaming platforms. Little to no one is making the same type of music that Rory Lynch is producing.
If you have any suggestions or submissions for next week’s “Song of the Week,” please tweet @PlainPhilly.
Philly Plain Dealer 