Tom Talks #14: Dave-We're All Alone In This Together (An Emotional Ride That Tug's at the Heart)
Hello folks and welcome back to your favourite music blog, Tom Talks! Today's discussion, will dissect the highly anticipated sophmore album from Dave. This guy's been around for a bit now with his 'Six Paths' and 'Game Over' projects giving us glimpses of the man we have today, with cold bars, some club bangers and very introspective tracks that delve into the issues in his own world and the rest of society.
We finally got the first full length album with 'PSYCHODRAMA,' a record that not only won the big awards like the Mercury Prize and Best Album at the Brit Awards, but changed the game for storytelling in the U.K. scene. The album was crafted as a psycho-therapy session, based on his brother's experience in prison and touched on themes like relationship's, poverty, his area and being black. It was truly a phenomenal LP and set the bar high for this next project.
Despite those high expectations, Dave has done it again and we are truly blessed to be given such an amazing piece of art. The opening track 'We're All Alone,' starts off like it's a movie with the beeps you expect at the beginning of old film recordings and this eerie instrumental by Nana Rouges, backed up with echoing choir vocals to set the mood. Santan starts off by documenting his highs, like his grades at school and his ability to charm women with his riches. Line's like "The flight is to Santorini, the car is a Lamborghini," show off the amazing wordplay and the braggadocio of this verse. The second verse juxtaposes this as he details fans messaging him saying they wanna kill themselves and how they're not so different from him and his struggles growing up, delivering this in a more frank and direct way. The song ends with a call about a movie, which could mean he sees this LP as like a motion picture or the fact he is making a film about his mother, as referenced on the album closer. Either way this is a great introduction, highlighting the highs and lows of fame.
Our first banger follows with 'Verdansk,' which not surprisingly has plenty of Call of Duty references, to match the energy that he'll bring to those who threaten him and his friends. Sprinkled in alongside with talk of driving cars in Hollywood and taking out racks from Barclays bank, this is an atmospheric and confident banger to get people hyped up at the shows. The lead single 'Clash' with Stormzy feels right at home here, with more witty wordplay; "I'm so close to my pension, my left wrist is sixty-one, My left wrist retiring." Dave sounds at his best over this bouncy trap beat with that signature piano touch in there, that you expect on a track by this man. Stormzy gives a solid contribution, sending several subluminal's to Chip, including "Burned that bridge, cremated one, boom-boom, bailiff one." It's a solid collab that fits the confident, bragging MC stereotype that Dave wants to project sometimes, but as the album goes on we know this is false.
'In The Fire' blew my socks off, just by the fact he got Fredo, Meekz, Ghetts and Giggs on the same track! The sampling of the Florida Mass Choir gives the song an orchestral, epic feel which excites me for what's to come at the live shows. The title is a test of resolve in Christianity with each artist documenting the tests they've faced in life; Fredo discussing the trap life, Meekz his struggles in prison and Giggs racism and growing up in poverty. Out of all the guests, Ghetts delivers the best verse with lines like "This is Moses speakin' to the burnin' bush," harking back to the religious references, while the beat slows down, as the piano becomes more intense as he comments on looking after family and surviving the road life. Dave goes insane on this one with talk of "I could've been deported. That's the definition of a 'Fight or-flight,'" and "Crime's on the rise, hate's on the rise. Feel like everythin' but my mum's pay's on the rise." Truly this is a collaboration of the highest heights and one people are going to be talking about for a while.
Nathan James Telley ends that track telling our protagonist to go out and explore the world, which fits well with the next track, the bleak and melancholic 'Three Rivers,' aided by James Blake and Kyle Evans's depressing piano production, who feature throughout this project. The discussion looks at the mistreatment of the Windrush generation, Eastern Europeans escaping war in the 90s and asylum seekers from the Middle East, interspersed with news clips explaining each situation. This is an emotional and powerful number, that really informs the listener of the atrocities of the world and the disgusting way's these people have been treated, which I imagine will move many to tears. It does end with some positivity as Daniel Kaluuya states how he sees his blackness as a positivity, rather then the negativity it is perceived as by certain group's in society. This is a truly moving song, showing the maturity and songwriting ability of Santan Dave and how he has grown up as an artist in such a short space of time.
Following the intensity of the last two tracks, we get a dancefloor number with 'System' featuring Wizkid, with P2J and Jae5 bringing a bouncy and chilled vibe to this afrobeats instrumental, great for getting people back to the clubs. Wizkid's vocals are silky as he discusses wealth and women, which Dave also talks about similarly in his verses, with references to car's, watches and footballers throughout. It's a nice party anthem, that takes things down a pace and one to get people vibing at the rave's. We continue with the afroswing vibe of 'Lazarus,' as Dave talks about his Nigerian roots and the political corruption over there. The electronic guitar really adds to the track, as does BOJ who speaks in Yoruba about someone bringing him money and not fucking with him, which doesn't really fit with the start of the track, but vocally it sounds good. Dave brags to women how he could pay their father's mortgage which is more in line with the chorus, even saying a woman saved him like Lazarus. (another religious reference.) While this track has a bit more to decipher than the last one, it's a good tribute to his origins and a chilled jam to move the limbs to.
We then move into relationships, which is handled much better than the kinda cringe 'Purple Heart' off his last album, with Snoh Aalegra collab 'Law of Attraction.' The trap drums and xylophone create an atmospheric production as both parties discuss how they react to a relationship breaking down. Aalegra seems content, but has had enough of her ex still mouthing off about her, but in the bridge says he could have been the one, in a moody delivery. Dave meanwhile seems as equally upset as his ex; "I need a bulletproof vest, For all the shots that you're drinking for me." He is desperate to get her back as made a point of in the line, "Santan, banking's our ability. But I'm still learning accountability." You feel the sentiment of this number and it shows the emotional maturity that he has garnered in the last two years.
The next track is a deep one, as 'Both Sides of A Smile' delves into both halves of a relationship, giving us the full picture. Dominic Maker, James Blake and Evans really pack an emotional punch with the distorted electronic production, while Blake's vocals are sensational as per usual. Dave starts off by saying how this love is like a movie and how giving a woman something gets you plenty back in return, before him and ShaSimone go back and forth like a real couple bickering. She knows he has cheated and doesn't believe he'll change and claims she can do better, while Blake talks in the chorus about turning pain into something beautiful and you truly feel the raw emotion in each artist's voice. The second half of the track switches to a simple piano ballad, as Blake serenades Dave, who realises what he's lost and states he didn't want to be honest with her, as he knew it would end things. While I personally have never had a relationship like this fall apart, you can feel the pain both parties feel and I'm sure for many who've had a similar experience to this, this one will be a powerful moment on the record.
Potentially, we then get the sequel to 'Panic Attack' a deeply introspective, freestyle like track off 'Six Paths,' in the form of 'Heart Attack.' Things kick off with the sound of a beating heart and a news discussion of the main topic of this track, stabbings in London. Dave pretty much freestyles this track, with lines like "Somali dad ran away from a war, Now his son's in a war, that's the cycle we're in," referencing the tragedies experienced in 'Three Rivers' and the sad reality that the youth of today are still in a conflict their parents fought hard to remove them from. He also talks about gun crime with the line "Sistine Chapel, I'ma paint the ceilin," highlighting it's just as much of a problem where he grew up as knife crime. David has previously spoken about these topics on the track 'Hangman,' but here you can tell his pen game has upped and he has a better understanding of the situation, telling kids to "...board a flight, there's more to life." As the track goes on you can feel the delivery become more intense, as he get's more out of breath. He furthers the discussion by stating the hypocrisy in society to glorify 'Scarface,' yet feel anger towards 'Blue Story' and the fact politicians can do drugs and lie, whilst in positions of power. There's much more discussion to this track like a father of a former partner being abusive and how he reacted to that, friends in prison and almost dying at birth. (there is so much to decipher here.) The track ends with Dave's mom crying about being potentially deported and trying to make a life here for the children, but being ignored when requesting help. This is truly heartbreaking stuff and a difficult listen, but a very important and well crafted message that needs to be heard.
The album ends with the mental health focused 'Survivor's Guilt,' that is entirely produced by Dave himself, something I don't think is emphasised enough. (he expertly produced the entirety of Fredo's 'Money Can't Buy Happiness.') This moody, melancholic beat fits the topic well, as does Jorja Smith with the lyrics "Fall too far to be wise and I know that I try but I-" (Miss Smith is of course no stranger to this discussion, as shown by her last project-shameless review plug.) Dave is very open and honest, discussing people judging his vulnerability and fame. In particular he talks about the topic of dating with the line "My ex has got ivory skin, Which is funny 'cause it's really the elephant in the room," referencing the fact he dated a white women, which he received criticism for in the black community, which seems a bit ridiculous to me and quite narrow minded. (love who you want David!) This is discussed alongside the clashing of his and his ex Albanian girlfriend's culture, the immense highs of performing and the lows afterwards, whilst giving an apology to black women for past tweets. (he has a lot to get off his chest.) Also the line "It's a shame it takes fallin' to your death, For a person to appreciate fully the gravity of the situation," is so real and encapsulates the issue with society where they kick someone while they're down, then only care when they are gone. "I wouldn't even trust my own shadow in a cabinet," is a very clever way of showing his lack of faith, that those in the Commons will deal with the issues he's brought up throughout the album and Kaluuya concludes the song by saying to live for what you stand for, rather than die for it. A very good closer, that finishes things off nicely and brings together the themes of the album and Dave's message.
This album is fantastic, brilliant, amazing. (several other positive words.) Somehow he has outdone his last project, improving his songwriting, production, whilst maturing as a man and a musician. This may not be as structured as 'PSYCHODRAMA,' but it is a fantastic collection of tracks that fit well together, mixing Dave's more confident and vulnerable sides, while discussing dark and important issues in society as a whole and closer to home. Santan Dave is at the top of his game here and may possibly have made the best project by a U.K. MC in a long time.
10/10
Thanks for reading the latest Tom Talks and I hope you enjoyed, stay tuned for more content here and on the YouTube channel and I'll see you soon. Make sure to leave a comment as well!
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