Album Review: Psychodrama by Dave
Dave is a fellow Londoner, hailing from South West London - Streatham to be exact. This is his first album and after I heard the first released single 'Black' I had high expectations. I put Black on repeat, really breaking down and agreeing with the points he stated on the song. The album exceeded my expectations.
When hearing Dave's past singles and features he has always stood out as someone with a different story to tell, he very much reminds me of US rapper J.Cole. Some past songs that highlight Dave's versatility 'Question time, Samantha, Funky Friday'. Dave doesn't produce the sort of rap music that makes me squint my brain because I'm struggling to understand the words. Neither does his voice confuse me with the high pitched auto-tune (the only person I could ever forgive for auto-tuning was T Pain.)
Some artists take us to churchhhhh and some make us buss a wine ... Dave is taking us to therapy and I'm so involved. The album is situated around ongoing therapy sessions and the songs bop and weaves around mini interludes with a therapist.
Dave brings a real rawness that I haven't been able to relate to with any other UK artist. He discusses things like manic depression, toxic relationships and domestic violence on this album. Things that people are going through generally behind close curtains and he throws it out in the open with zero apologies. And the truth is, these things are everyone's business. Like he said on the track 'Lesley' you probably know someone going through something similar.
I was going to listen to the album anyway but when I saw on the tracklist features from Burna Boy (Nigeria's biggest and baddest) and J Hus ( It's common sense to know him)
PAUSE... get your notes and type in Burna Boy - Outside and J Hus - Common Sense. Them two albums are no joke and there's plenty of turn up tunes on there…OK RESUME.The album has 11 songs. From the offset, the tone is serious and allows listeners to see London through his perception and experiences. I can hear 'Location' being a big club banger and it's already all over the radio airwaves. It's a real feel-good song and the contrast of Dave and Burna Boy's voices really make the song banggg! The song 'Environment' really humbled me and acted as a reminder that things are not always as it seems. It challenges you to be honest with yourself about your judgements towards others.
The album honestly gets better the more times you listen to it. You notice more and more how much of a lyrical genius Dave is, and how important this creative album is. How he uses star signs subtly on 'Purple heart' and how he lost the top marks on some exams because of his resistance to integrating certain words into his life.
DJ Pull that tune-up
'Purple Heart' is my favourite song from the album. Why? Because it's the 2019 version of my 90s RnB Joe songs.
A banging album gives you the best social media captions
Purple Heart - "I got a purple heart, You got a purple heart. You think my work is art, but I think you're a work of art"
Location - "Far from the rest but I'm far from my best, life is a lesson I'm passing a test"
Voices - " The struggle my bredrin, and the hustle my best friend. I heard of regret but I don't know him as well as my last few exes"
What do you think of Dave's Psychodrama album?