Back in September last year, New York-based producer and singer The Dare released his debut album, What’s Wrong With New York? The 10-track project spanned across all forms of modern EDM while tapping into that classic ‘Indie Sleaze’ vibe from the early 2010s. What’s Wrong With New York? had a few massive mainstream hits, the most notable being ‘Girls’ and ‘Perfume’. Those songs, alongside The Dares collaborative work with Charli xcx put him on the radar for a large chunk of the internet, leading the artist to sell out his first headlining tour, get placed on the bill for massive festivals like Coachella and Primavera, and made his ‘Freakquency’ DJ sets difficult to land tickets for, with everyone wanting a piece of The Dare and his suit.
[ The Dare via @mollie.mckay ]
On June 20th, The Dare released a deluxe for his album titled What’s Wrong With New York: Afters. The deluxe version consists of three new songs- ‘Cheeky’, ‘LCA’, and ‘I Can’t Escape Myself’, all of which are tacked onto the beginning of the album rather than the end. All of the tracks have been formerly teased or debuted during The Dare’s live shows over the last year, with ‘LCA’ making the setlist of his headline tour and ‘Cheeky’ being played at Coachella.
If you were a fan of The Dare’s ‘I Destroyed Disco’ or ‘Good Time’, I think you’ll find yourself enjoying ‘LCA’ the most out of the three singles. Production-wise, it relies more so on those deeper synths and lower tones to command the track, creating a low and dark atmosphere. The lyricism on the track is very punchy, having the same standout lines and iconic moments that I find ‘I Destroyed Disco’ carries. ‘LCA’, while it may not be a fan favourite to listen to on streaming, has been said to be a very fun track to hear live, with The Dare putting everything he has into the performance.
‘Cheeky’ taps into a more diverse range of sound, using an electric guitar and lighter drum beats alongside the dominating synths to create this blended soundscape. Though I’d say the track lyrically is significantly less catchy than ‘Open Up’ and ‘You’re Invited’ and is also lower tonally, I would recommend it to fans of those songs. ‘Cheeky’ and ‘LCA’ also have similar attributes to them, which makes the tracks blend together nicely as you’re listening to the project from top to bottom.
My personal favourite out of the three tracks is ‘I Can’t Escape Myself’, a song that separates itself from the hard, in-your-face, aggressive beats and instead taps into dreamy and airy sounds. The beat is consistent throughout the entire song, with the layered synths, slight cowbell, and occasional electric guitar scrubbing doing most of the heavy lifting to enhance the listening experience. ‘I Can’t Escape Myself’ also shows off The Dare’s vocals and his range, as the calmer nature of the track allows him to play around with longer runs and dramatized vocal elements. For those who enjoyed ‘You Can Never Go Home’ or enjoy some of Justice's more mellow EDM, this could be the track for you.
STREAM WHAT’S WRONG WITH NEW YORK: AFTERS HERE.
CHECK THE DARES UPCOMING TOUR DATES HERE.
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