This will be in my top ten albums of 2023
July 16th 2023
By Tyler Poirier
NOTE: There are parts of the single reviews incorporated in here, but a lot of new stuff, elongated stuff, or shortened stuff too. So read the single reviews too if you want more context, theyll be linked at each track title
I don’t usually end up following that band, you know the one, they show up on your Twitter, Instagram, whatever, and say that you have the ideal music taste to enjoy their band, and compare themselves to a super prevalent band, and then the actual songs are incredibly underwhelming and that’s 15 minutes that you’ll never get back. So when a brand-new band called Dopamine followed my twitter and put up a tweet claiming to be similar to Palaye Royale, My Chemical Romance, Bring Me The Horizon, and multiple others, I went to their profile, ready to block them. However, something here was different. I have a lot of Palaye Royale mutuals on twitter, and they had followed the band back. This was unusual, and was enough to convince me their song warranted a listen.
In hindsight, let me be honest: It was very rare that I would find even a good band that was this early into their career. Admittedly back in 2018 I had found the Pits (now called Ruffians), and a few other bands previously called Burn the Ballroom, iDKHOW, and The Faim (you might know them).
However, obviously it turns out those were actually big names save for Ruffians (iDKHOW was Dallon Weekes of the Brobecks and Panic!, Burn the Ballroom has been around forever, and The Faim was actually the rebirth for a band called Small Town Heroes (think same inspiration and stylings as early Set It Off material for stuff under their old name). But even then, save for maybe Ruffians, I was just joining the mob of newly minted devotees. I realized I had never quite found a band on day one, and realized as both an amateur music critic and a fan, I wanted a band I a) could review, and b) could follow their whole career. That, is the most honest reason why I clicked on that link.
That happened in early May of 2022, and that song was "Sorry" this beautiful slow bonfire of a metal-esque rock track, and I was blown away. The SECOND I tell everyone on twitter I'm starting music reviews this awesome band shows up and places a perfect track in my lap. Needless to say, they were my first ever review.
I then got the coolest experiences anyone can ask for watching them gear up to record and release their first album (when you're on a different continent an ocean away and obviously getting to meet them or see them live is not in the cards for me yet). I got to interact with them. Really interact. I got to interview them about self made and some random fun stuff for my first ever (and only so far) group chat interview. I've talked with them online from time to time, was able to shamelessly plug them to anyone who would listen, watched as they constantly upped the ante on each new song, and now finally I've gotten the chance to see it all culminating with their first album, Deficiency, having dropped Friday June 16th.
Which reminds me, about dates things are supposed to come out ….
This was supposed to drop the following Tuesday. But then I got all in my head about wanting this to be the best review I had done, and wanting to respect the incredible experience of this past year watching this band get started, and how the review at the time was basically 20 minutes of previously released reviews for the singles copy pasted (which is only partially fixed) and was just too much copypasta bullshit for my taste. So yes, without warning or announcement I took an extra couple days to work on this. I hope nobody minds. They probably do, sorry about that, I'm shit with deadlines.
So now, I digress, and get back on topic: I present to you a track by track review of the debut dopamine album, Deficiency
Deficiency, technically has 9 tracks, as the first track, the title track, is technically intro and track, but we're going to treat them as one, so let's get started with….
DEFICIENCY
Deficiency starts on what I think is in some ways their most Bring Me The Horizon sounding offering to date ( lighter moments of Sempiternal and Thats the Spirit, I also hear a touch of Green Day circa 2003-2013 in there too). This track was initially called Escape before it evolved into an intro and title track. The track works really well as a contextual beginning to the album, combining all of Dopamine's stylistic soundscape into one track (or well technically two, but still). The Intro half, brings a powerful Oli Sykes on Hospital for souls type spoken word over a dreamy version of the verse instrumental that's about to kick in. I am going to write for you that passage.
It's one of those suffocating moments
Where the whole world opens up and swallows you whole
And you don't understand where it comes from
Or why it happens it just does
And you beg your doctors to take you seriously
Because you're tired of just surviving
You want to live
You want to enjoy the things you used to
To have the energy to get out of bed in the morning
But when the sertraline doesn't work
And you move onto the next chemical
It's an endless cycle of trial and error
While you're buried on a waiting list
Only to be lucky to be seen another three years from now
How many more people do we have to lose?
That shit hit me, Fucking HARD. It reminds me of Pete Wentz type spoken word passages too, where it's both Wentzian allegory and Sykes style brutal honesty and simple straightforward realness, like a mix between the transition between pentultimate and final tracks Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying and XO on From Under The Cork Tree (The 2005 sophmore Fall Out Boy album) and the intoduction to Hospital For Souls, the gripping and iconic closer to the fourth Bring Me The Horizon album, Sempiternal. In so many ways it just makes more fitting that Levi also feels the most comfortable in his lower register that he's been on any track so far (like he said in Tiktok, don't be too worried the hormone therapy is gonna take your singing voice, because I'd say it sure as fuck didn't take his).
This track is dreamy in general, to reuse adjectives (because my brain is a flawed tool on a good day), and almost feels like the paintings airbrushed on the sides of vans in the 80's, or the scene in your favorite animated show where the budget kicks in, but just more gritty and down to earth than in the clouds and glittery. It's a lucid dream, one where you are very aware you're dreaming in bed, and will eventually have to wake up in the morning and face the real world for yet another day.
I particularly like how the track clearly contains the concept of Deficiency, both it's more specific stories about Levi's identity, but also it's applications to the experiences of everyone in the band, and furthermore it's general applications to anyone who listens.
I, for both different and similar reasons, know that constant feeling of being in this almost medical timeloop, where it feels like they're doing the equivalent of reinventing the wheel or fire by trying you on one pill, then adding another pill, then upping the dose of one or both, then deciding "fuck it, let's try a different drug this time". That moving on to the next chemical… an endless cycle of trial and error. As someone who has been on at least 50 different permutations of stimulant medications for ADHD, and a few unspecified cognitive and mood disorders, and whats funny is that they all work for a bit, but I get a tolerance for everything eventually, so on to the next option.
I think that's what drew me towards Dopamine so much, the songs can do what any great song can do, they both are intended to be about a specific thing, but yet while you can connect to them on that level, which I do, you also can experience them in an interpretation of your own experiences and struggles, and get something profoundly good from that, and I connect to it on that level too.
Lastly I'd like to praise, from an objective and structural standpoint, how this track doesn't abandon the spoken word elements after the intro, and changes it up each section to make it a pleasantly unique experience at each point of the song.
For a grade I'm feeling a 99, this track is essentially perfect, but there are tracks on here that have just had more time to endear themselves to me and some of these tracks are so beautiful they need to be distinguished as so.. speaking of which, that leads us to the end of track one and a seamless transition, both sonically and stylistically, to our second track…
Okay, let's jump back to the beginning of this review, which of course means jumping back to my first ever review, my review of Sorry, their first ever single. This track was the first they ever recorded, and the band has remarked about how interesting it is that they're last recorded song for the album is followed immediately by their first, as they've all obviously grown a bit as musicians in the year between. I'd say what it is, is a good move for the flow of this album and solid proof about how Sorry perfectly Sorry holds up.
In the original review I noted that Dopamine
"gives quite a tall order for who they claim to sound similar to/for fans of. However, seeing as they deliver, it's more than justified. This track has little notes of most, if not all, of the artists and bands they listed, however interestingly enough, what I hear most in it is the quasi-fictional band The Relentless, and of a Maneskin ballad, such as Vent’anni (However perhaps they did not want to make a list based on this one track, I would love to hear if they believe these bands could represent their sound as a whole)."
In hindsight I would probably also add Vukovi, Green Day, Nirvana, Waterparks (it's just a touch, but it's there, and I have an inkling of a theory that this sort of sound may make more of an appearance in the future, I'm not sure but it's just a gut feeling). I think some influences they have are not heard so much as intuitively felt in there, or aren't ones I'd consider but I noticed when they were mentioned. In my group chat interview with Dopamine, Levi also mentioned David Bowie and Crawlers, and Gypsy Hawk mentioned Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Queen, Motley Crue, even a few blues artists like BB King, Gary Moore, and Peter Green. Also in general they were in consensus that there was an indirect influence of country on their style as artists and collectively as a band. It's just an interesting and very tangential comment on how every artist or band was influenced by so many other things from all throughout musical history before them.
I also commented that "it will be interesting to hear more songs as they come out, to see where they go from here, as I assume from this track that they are aiming for a heavy, yet melodic, metal-tinged rock. Another thing I’d love to hear is how this band came to be, I’m curious as to how they got started." And for those who didn't know, in the interview I found out: they kind of all met in college, with Levi & JD having joined up for an exam, then they joined up with Lewis and Gypsy, the latter of whom brought in Ben, and BOOM, just like that, you have a Dopamine.
As for more specific things about Sorry itself, I think what I said seems to remain true, the song is incredibly well mixed for their first independent album, let alone first ever song, a fact that can partially be accredited to Open Eyes Productions who at least at the time of this track and Self Made, who the band recorded the singles with. Levi's vocal tone instantly made a great first impression by being somewhat reminiscent of other vocalists in some basic ways, while also being original in its tone and nuances of inflection.
The lyrics still stand out for not messing around and packing a punch, In particular, the vocal melody of the lines “I’m a mess, fucked up, I am everything I hate. I’m a liability” sits just right, Sorry's chorus is impeccable in general, and the lyricism in the line “Are you listening to me, I’m crossing over, Not six feet under” is particularly impacful, especially with having been able to listen to the song so much over the past 14 months. I said originally that I would like to see how well they perform in a live setting when that is available, and while going to Europe for a concert isn't really in the cards, I can't wait for when they get on a North American tour (and trust me, it's not a matter of if so much as when) and I can see them, hopefully here in Nova Scotia (and as I've said to them before, when they eventually come here, drinks are on me). Also the double kicks in this song are more fun the more times I listen
The song clocks in at 3:58, neither leaving you feeling short-changed nor overstaying its welcome, it packs in a few renditions of the chorus, a couple verses, a bridge, and a guitar solo to finish out the track, it only builds as it goes on, and doesn’t feature any dull moments. The lyrics are sound, the production and recording are remarkably good for a band’s first recording, the lyrical content is well structured, the song has an overall meaning, and is also just a fun listen for any fan of the bands they have listed.
Now, when I heard this track, I initially gave it an A if memory serves, then bumped it, not all the way up to a 100, but a 99, because I was trying to retroactively be more objective and also integrate this new grade into my reviews. Now as for the objectivity I just kind of realized I don't willingly hate-listen, so if I know it's gonna be shit to my ears I don't listen, and often I like the artists I like, regardless of how much Anthony Fantano decides to hate on it. Ha, deal with it people. But as for Sorry, I've decided to Grade it as a 100, as my enjoyment of the track has yet to diminish in any way, and because I think it's somehow grown on me more as it's stayed in my heavy rotation and held up with each new song that released.
That leads us to…
BETTER OFF... (DEAD)
Definitely the heaviest on the album, this track blends a touch of BMTH with some black veil brides, a vukovi style guitar riff, and some palaye royale stylistically to blow your mind. Its probably matching Self Made in the amount of pure groove it contains.
It's switchups between the verses and the chorus, and then chorus to breakdown are done extremely well, just like it's chronological predecessors You'll be Fine and 3am.
It also contains some screams in the background that were not expected but were very appreciated. This track was also playing when I learned that Dopamine tracks with an electronic kit, which was a shock, because usually I find it's not terribly hard for me to tell, sometimes even without knowing it in advance, but this time around I still can't hear it, the drum performance feels extremely organic still.
I think this song also has grown on me even in the month since it came out, its really just a fun time, a good song to listen to. It comes in at 2:57, which is on the shorter side, however it does everything it needs to do in those 3 minutes, kind of like how a punk song does, it gets to the point, gives you the riffs, the hooks, and the chorus, and then doesnt waste anyones time fucking around.
I love this song, it's packed with hooks and riffs and just a really great experience. I think this track speaks for itself beyond what Ive already said, and I give it a 100.
My thoughts on this track have not changed at all, so I'll let December 2022 me talk about this wonderful little Christmas present of a song then grade it...
"I truly thought I had a good grasp of their sound, but this track was a bit of a curveball. It's incredibly good, I'll get that out of the way, and also again, a shorter song, clocking in at about 2 minutes and 15 seconds. However once again: It doesn't feel short. Its more like they cut the shit to make a proper late 90's/ early 2000's, punk/alternative banger. Its a good form of short, akin to some of the songs on Elsewhere in that specific quality, where the length of the shorter songs is a benefit as opposed to detriment or source of regret on the part of the listeners.
Imagine a song akin to halfway between self made and youll be fine perhaps (if youve heard them, which you should have, but I still realized that I assume people have the same knowledge base as me so I'm trying to, um, just not do that), got a groove to it, slow near breakdown for the end thats akin to the self made bridge, stuff like that. Again, while I'll attempt not to get too relative to other things with terminology, imagine a cross between Vukovi, Paramore, and Black Veil Brides, with a touch of Maneskin. That should give you a nice idea of whats going on in this track. Its a fun ride.
I really enjoyed this song, but for the sake of honestly and objectivity I decided upon an A+ for Sick Of You
No, it's not a Palaye Royale cover, and yes, it's one hell of a rollercoaster
I'd already had it a couple weeks before everyone else, since the 17th of November in fact, I was given the honor of recieving an advance copy of the track by the band, completely out of the blue via a dm on twitter, and trust me, its as big and awesome as a feeling as you would assume and more. A huge milestone, I was losing my shit on my couch when that message came in, and it probably was my most listened track of November, December, and January
The song starts out quick, sonically something between the last two singles sonically, 3am and Self Made, if I had to describe it. However, one thing has to be made clear immediately, Levi's voice is quite a different animal, in general, its like Remington Leith or Damiano David's voice in its ability to deliver a equal parts warm and chilling rasp, but also coax out incredibly beautiful pure clean vocals. Its like some of these vocalists, but also individual in some ways too, maybe thats because of his practice or because of his origins, a chill yet passionate guy from Scotland's east coast.
Yet on this track in particular, while admittedly the whole band is firing on all cylinders for every song theyve released, something about this track feels special, the delivery of the vocals is dripping with darker, more contemplative emotion at some points, and bursting with reckless joy in others (in particular, the chorus). Levi reigns it in at the right moments and lets it charge forward like a snarling lion at perfect other moments, and does it as easily as one may fly a kite. Then you have the stuttering bombast of the guitar and bass during the chorus, the drums cracking in like someone musically weaponized firecrackers, keeping perfect time and always filling in the perfect spaces in the melodies, both scratching that itch when finds the pocket, but then also creating that headrush of friction when it gets switched up. JD, Ben, Lewis, & GypsyHawk all bringing their best to the table as usual, bringing an alternative sound mixed with modernized 80's vibes at ecertain points, and a punk sensibility to the track, their bass tones always stand out, their guitar strings catching fire.
Once again, the track also benefits from its impeccable recording, I would expect no less than what Dopamine accomplished from the labels that house their adjacent fanbases and inspirations, Sumerian, Better Noise, Roadrunner, all may have professional studios to go to, same as the major labels. Fuck, even my little suburb of Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia, Canada, apparently has a studio or two, not that I could actually find them aside from mentions on local artists CD credits. However remember, Bring Me The Horizon recorded Post-Human: Survival Horror, in their houses, they used fucking blankets on stacked tables to make vocal booths, they met on Zoom, they recorded every track save for Ludens without professional equipment, and even that required a hotel setup with a chair and bath towels to demo and track vocals. Professional Recording, despite having become easier in the recent years, does not detract from the incredible achievement that comes with having your very first self - released singles be well enough recorded that they likely will hold up to whatever future recordings they may release, label or not.
I do feel I need to make clear one thing, its not a criticism, simply a thing to go in knowing. The track could been said to be... short. Not in a way that would really bother anyone, as it still pushes past 2:30, but if you are expecting a 5 minure song, dont. In fact, I think the song benefits from its shorter runtime, because where it is a slow, almost as odd as it sounds sultry paced song, it makes for the perfectly timed experience, doing what Palaye Royale's 2016 song "Rag Doll" managed to do in half the time. In which I mean to say…
Spoiler Alert (Because originally in this review the band asked me not to reveal the different format they went for on this track until it came out, Howe if you checked out the review again after the release date, or are here now, you can see the rest of my thoughts below)
The track has a tempo change, that clearly divides it into two interconnected sections. The first part I've already talked about, however its after the chorus where things get really interesting.
Because the track mellows out for a second, giving an almost Pink Floyd feel for a few seconds, then Levi's voice kicks into a melancholy rasp, and the guitars and drum's blaze into a glorious explosion of blistering finale goodness. (it sounds odd, but I mean it and I like it and I'm not taking it back). I think the best way to describe this song is like burning a match down to your fingertips. Theres the ignition, the speed of that initial burn, then the slow deliberate purpose of the match burning down to its last cinders, elegantly paced throughout the process.
The song is a duality, in a way, its all about the same thing, but yet also captures two different things together. And as the halfway point of the upcoming album's tracklist, I'd say it seems like it could come at no better point in the album. 3am slated as the opener is incredibly cinematic, including a well thought out and powerful synth lined intro, and Self Made as the closer also seems like a great choice, it is a firecracker of a song, featuring their best groove, and while the song has personal meaning in it, I also see a commentary about the band themselves, they dont have a label or manager per se, theres no outside people in suits pouring money in towards their success, they are doing this themselves, getting shit done, and damn have they ever whipped up a following, just for an example, on twitter there is barely a Palaye Royale fan who hasnt yet found this band.
I gave You'll be Fine a 100 at the outset, and it keeps that grade today,
It's a 100, it will always be a 100, I'd say it's probably my favorite still, and it for certain is my favorite chorus and my second favorite riff on there. I will go into detail, but quite frankly what more is necessary? You know it slaps, I know it slaps, we all know it slaps, because it totally does fucking slap.
The song is, to compare to Palaye Royale, who I consider to be one of the most similar bands to them: In style and structure, much like Mr.Doctor Man and You'll Be Fine, but in tone, meaning, lyrical content, and, pure SLAPS energy, is more like Anxiety, an anthemic banger off Palaye's 3rd album The Bastards. However that is too overgeneralized. I want you to also imagine that the whole song carries a slight vibe of Bring Me The Horizons album That's the Spirit, and of Scottish band Vukovi, but also Yungblud's unreleased song The Emperor. The song also has a Maneskin type bass groove bridge that you could almost spiritually could tell was going to be there.
Of course, the song overall is a trans-anthem, speaking of Levi's experiences, feelings, and memories. However, its most powerful quality was described perfectly by Levi in my Group Chat Interview with the band.
"I am a firm believer in beauty is the eye of the beholder, I wanted to deliver a song that everyone could relate to for any personal reason they may have despite the song having specific meaning to me.
At the very roots of it, it IS for the my space in the trans community because that’s the influence I had when writing the lyrics but I really wanted to use this song to create a space that brings people together no matter their identity, so overall self made is a song of self acceptance and appreciation, for everyone out there that feels looked down on for whatever reason and encourages them to bypass that, to be unapologetically themselves and embrace every part of that, everywhere you go there’s going to be someone that disagrees with or dislikes you for whatever reason, even stupid ones, but their opinions are obsolete, as long as you aren’t harming anyone or yourself the only thing that really matter is that you are happy and enjoying your life and self made is a reminder of that.
The track is incredible, perfectly structured and written, and recorded with impeccable quality. This band has such raw potential, the chorus alone of this song is proof of their talent, one of the best I've heard in a while for sure, and Levi's voice & accent, are incredible.
The final single before the album drop. It is called Fly, and I will tell you right now, I give this track a 99. I LOVE this track. It encapsulates the perfect mix of mid 1990's grunge in its texture, while also being musically akin to mid 2010's scene and alternative rock. If they ever have a lore they'll have to have immortal beings or time travelers or something, because their music defies being tied to any era or even its actual time period of the 2020's.
This track felt like the same opening of new possibilities as Sorry, it brought that same feeling, of a band thats inspired by the other bands currently rising to fame, and those who are now old enough to pay homage to without being accused of being unoriginal, before their style is everywhere and universally ignored due to an influx of bands looking to capitalize on that style. Hearing Dopamine is like the quantity of pleasant surprise the Summonings funk outro gave all of us, also creating the genre babymakincore, but instead of happening within 5 seconds of realizing the heavy breakdown is a funky sexy groove, it is evenly distributed throughout the song. In essence, I would like to essentially knight Dopamine, and dub their genre Chemicalcore, both in homage to their alt rock genre diversity akin to MCR, but also due to their name and iconography as a band named after a chemical that is sure to fill your brain upon hearing their songs.
Fly employs a masterful mix of acoustic and electric guitar in as pleasing of a blend as its combination of 90's and 2010's sounds, making for a fun listening experience. Its also yet again a wonderful thing to see how Levi sounds more comfortably at ease with delivering even the most powerful of his vocals between songs, at this point it sounds simply flawless. If you prefer material like Palaye Royale's - Boom Boom Room Side A, MCR circa Conventional Weapons, and the most current sounds of Pierce The Veil and Black Veil Brides? This will likely become your favourite Dopamine track.
While praising the ending of a Dopamine track has become a bit of a habit of mine, once again I find myself needing to talk about how the song ends in particular. The ending of this song just screams fun. It goes from a full chorus entwined with some hair raisingly good background vocals and guitar, before then stripping down to just bass, then coming back in for one last blast of guitars and drums before letting the guitars fade out to end the song. The song is 3:38 long, and quite frankly feels like the perfect length for this particular track, and overall brings a good balance to the lengths of each song on the tracklist with some longer and others shorter.
When I first heard this song, I simply concluded it was an elevation in sound for the band, something a bit more ambitious and certainly it sounded amazing, and there were notes of certain artists and bands in there that were an unexpected pleasant surprise to hear, but yeah, that was it, it stepped up their game, as I honestly expected it to (which is not to dismiss it, just for context because). Holy FUCK though, does this song take on a whole new light and meaning, and increases its cinematic feeling by tenfold, as the album closer here.
Now 3am, on the surface, like I mean not even scratching the surface, or even touching it, more like looking at it from six feet away, could I suppose be intepreted as a song with a simple premise. You can't get to sleep and you're stuck staring at the clock at 3am, a common issue that anyone with sleep issues has, wondering how the fuck only 5 minutes have passed.
Personally in any given day I'm guaranteed to see either 1:08, 3:00, and or 7:47 on a clock at least once. The reason is because 1:08 and the 3:00 hour were the times I'd wake up from nightmares as a kid, and 7:47 would usually be the time I'd either wake up and or get out of bed. Interestingly enough, 747 turned out to be a number intrinsically linked to the band Palaye Royale, 108 appeared so much in my life that basically I treat that number with some sort of not entirely insane divine worship as my lucky (or unlucky?) number, and I discovered that 3:00 am is basically the international conventional time for reasons of insomnia or nightmares or mental health issues (and for me all of those can be interchangeable and simultaneous) people end up awake staring at clock at.
It's also the modern incarnation of the Devil's/Witching hour. You know others will say 11pm through midnight, Midnight through 1am, or 1-2 am. But in the age of cringy Gremlins logic YouTube videos warning not do so certain things at certain times and pretending creepy shit happens if you do, 3am is the time to avoid. Spooky and fun, right?
If course that's not what the song is really about, just kind of a facet of the overall concept that has some cool context to it and some of my weird stories to top it off. But let's talk about how the song sounds first before I fuckin spill my life story (oof)
So imagine if you will, the ticking of a clock, that slowly becomes a clicking rhythm behind some plucky bell synths a glitchy shimmering synthline, and some reversed cool string pads, bombastic drums beginning to roll in like thunder to complete a wall of a soundscape like an impending storm with green lightning and winds whipping things around and glitching them out.
Then in comes Levi's vocals bringing a twenty one pilots vibe to the first verse, but slightly mixed with a hint of Brandon Flowers in the vocals (The Killers lead vocalist, the band that made Mr Brightside, youve heard it, you have the metaphorical t-shirt), building an image of all the demons in your head and those around you seemingly neither understanding nor caring, and it's keeping you up at night… before breaking open with the alarm clock beeping and a chorus that honestly sounds like it was spiritually sent by the universe from My Chem to Dopamine. Its warm and bright sonically regardless of some of the songs darker topics. The lyrics speak volumes here, lines in the chorus promising they won't be going down without a fight even with everything going down around them. With a badass half time punched in on the 3rd lines
You're not getting rid of me
I won't go so easily
You're not getting rid of me
A parasite of society
Cause we're too high
And we're too drunk
All our friends are dying
Hear their mothers crying
You're not getting rid of me
A parasite of society
The second verse comes in riding on the synths and ticking of the intro while also featuring the chugging guitar lines and an almost four on the floor style on the drums. Levi's heavier, Remingtion Leith-esque vocal tone breaks in for some well penned lyrics that later on play into the first verse:
Depressions a killer
But everyone loves her
As the gap gets bigger
While we all suffer
Through the thoughts in our heads
That keep us lying awake
While we're all trapped in our beds
I hope its not too late
The songs scope widens for that first half, bringing an understanding that were all going through shit, and more people than you think are going through a lot of it, and lines like "Depressions a killer, but everyone loves her" driving home the things in our world and the demons in everyone's minds whom make up the darkness this song is talking about, and then we get even more personal with "your mum she don't understand", "your daddy don't give a damn" , then later "can we give this a rest, just for one fucking night", really holding the mirror up to the listener and helping them understand
The song then brings in a unique little riff that I presume they achieved with a heavy dose from a wah pedal, a repeating bridge of "I'm so sick of 3 AM I never want to see it again" (one of their most simple lines, and yet probably my favourite line lyrically), followed by a guitar solo, the final chorus, and an outro return of "I'm so sick of 3 AM"
This song sounds like any of the artists I've mentioned before,and some others, Yungblud, Palaye Royale, Twenty One Pilots, The Killers, MCR, even Beartooth to an extent on Self Made and 3AM, etc. But you know what? Fuck that shit, you know what it really sounds like? Dopamine. I feel like this song really comes together with the other two singles to create a diverse palette of musical influences that can be defined as "Dopamine", for now at least, until the next song released tears up all expectations again. It's that term I coined (I think? Im pretty sure I did...) "Chemicalcore" music that combines genres in explosive ways to make you feel the same things the artist does.
This song is remarkable because it really is the most universally applicable track on the album despite still describing to a degree very personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences, I feel like anyone who has been there, multiple times, lying in bed with their demons keeping them up, knows exactly what this song is going for. I feel like it's meant to be a call out to both reassure others that might be out there that they aren't alone, but also to be able to see those others to know you're not alone yourself, and also a promise to keep going, and keep fighting, and never let it get you so far down that you end up underground.
Do I even need to tell you I give it a 100?
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Dopamine is a new band that has just barely over a year, released 9 INCREDIBLE studio quality tracks, their first album already! And the tracks rival songs by the objective best and my all-time favorite bands. They are a band that I'm happy to have been around to see grow since the beginning, and when they are playing festivals alongside their idols someday in the very near future (I am certain of this), I'll be there in the crowd, happy and proud to have been there to see everything that lead up to it. Onward and upward as they say
This record was an experience from beginning until end, it refuses to be generic and strives for originality, with lyrics that detail a personal experience while still emotionally impacting the listener on a unique to them sort of level. 9 high quality tracks and their first outing being a full album is beyond amazing, it's like a Post Human Survival Horror in that sense, managing to provide an album experience in under 10 tracks by keeping the tracklist small and down to the essentials. Do I still want to see someday what Dopamine might be capable of on a 15 song tracklist recorded with a record labels resources? Yes, but what makes this record stand out is that it's a debut that will always be able to hold up to their future additions to their discography. Also where Dopamine has similarities to Black Veil Brides? I wouldn't say a reimagining of this record is impossible someday down the line, and I'd love to see it, when one day Dopamine is as big as Fall Out Boy or My Chemical Romance, to pick up their equivalent to Restitch These Wounds or their new album and say "I was a fan back when they dropped their first single you know" to anyone who will listen.
As for aesthetic? I think the new cover art was great, it gives off independent album vibes and "scene bands first album" energy, but in a good way. I love how it's a bed behind the album name, stark, simple, and calls back to 3AM. Speaking of which, if you haven't seen the album art for 3AM, You'll Be Fine, and Fly in particular, go have a look, it's incredible quality and their album artist, did an amazing job on them
Do I somewhat miss the black and green? Sort of. But I've thought about it, and I think the black and red works better, also it would be cool if they used the fact that 3AM, the last deficiency era track I presume, tracklist wise, as a way to transition into black and green on the next album era, as 3AM was the track that really leaned into the green color scheme.(also Im calling it now, my theory is album 3 will be a magnum opus {after all it was the case for many of the bands they're inspired by} and the color scheme will feature purple, and then they'll transcend like MCR, FOB, and Palaye did on album four, and the color will be gold, so just saying, if it happens I called it {but that's just some fan rambling on my end})
Overall, this album could not be more deserving of a full 100. A majority of its songs have already proven their longevity, the quality is insanely high, and I love this record. This a band you have every opportunity to not sleep on right now, so go ahead and give this albums listen. You won't regret it....
See ya for now,
Tyler | 108
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