The Dare – ‘What’s Wrong With New York?’ album review: what’s a blogger to The Dare?
THE SKINNY: Two years ago, Harrison Patrick Smith spent his evenings DJing deep cuts to kids chasing the high of the 2000s around downtown New York. Now, when he’s not accompanying Charli XCX to Boiler Room sets, he spends his nights donning a suit and tie, hauling stacks of Marshalls to basement venues ready for his own blistering live shows as The Dare. His debut album, What’s Wrong With New York? is the sonic culmination of these experiences, an electro-clashing collage of synths and sleaze.
Smith’s story may sound familiar to the indie kids of the 2000s — LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy experienced a similar rise to fame from cult DJ to indie sleaze icon, and the similarities don’t stop there. But Smith isn’t just capitalising on borrowed nostalgia for New York two decades ago with What’s Wrong With New York? He’s reviving it for a new generation, pushing into the sleaziest and silliest facets of that initial wave, and kicking the whole world in its teeth with untied laces. The naysayers might call it pastiche, but nostalgia is now too firm a crutch in culture to ignore or deride.
What’s Wrong With New York? is entirely driven by blistering bass and boastful lyrics, each primed for playing at full volume through the biggest speakers in the stickiest basement clubs. He sings of all-nighters and come-ups, of girls and five-dollar fragrances, each statement more self-involved and social media-friendly than the last. But there are occasional glimpses at humility, at realisations that the party life won’t last forever and a longing for home.
What’s Wrong With New York? likely won’t convert any skeptics of The Dare to the cause — it only finds Smith leaning even further into his suited and sunglasses-clad character, delivering smirks and sleaze with ease. But for the converted, this unabashed dose of in-your-face fun may well become your most listened to album of the year. But then again, what’s a blogger to The Dare?
For fans of: Cheap cocaine, cheap condoms and Dave Matthews Band.
A concluding comment from Tony Montana: “Thank you, The Dare. You saved my business.”
What’s Wrong With New York? track-by-track:
Release date: September 6th 2024 | Producer: The Dare | Label: Polydor Records
‘Open Up’: The Dare pushes into party culture and the overfamiliarity of fame, imploring you to join him and “open up.” Smith throws in references to Funkadelic and calls to move your body like a tambourine, delivered over a blistering collection of synths and strums. It’s just dance punk, you won’t die. [4/5]
‘Good Time’: ‘Girls’ may have been the undisputed hit from The Dare’s debut EP, The Sex, but ‘Good Time’ was the fan favourite. A year later, it finds its way onto What’s Wrong With New York? and it sounds just as fresh as ever. Amidst shouts of “Ow!” and speaker-trembling bass, he teases, “I’m in the club while you’re online, hope my set sounds good outside, baby.” [4.5/5]
‘Perfume’: Forget ‘Espresso’, forget ‘Good Luck, Babe’, ‘Perfume’ is the song of the summer, and le Dare is the scent. Boasting about the seductive qualities of his five-dollar Parisian fragrance, Smith lays tremolo guitars over electroclashing soundscapes, evoking all the sleaze of the 2000s with a certain je ne sais quoi. [4.5/5]
‘Girls’: Smith talks us through his type over acidic synths and choruses of girls shouting “That’s what’s up!” It’s the sleaziest song on the record and, to some, probably the most off-putting. “I like girls who make love,” Smith sings, “but I love girls who like to fuck.” [4/5]
‘I Destroyed Disco’: Listening to ‘I Destroyed Disco’ will have you completely questioning Smith’s single choices for What’s Wrong With New York? This is the biggest song on the album, spilling over with enough boasting and bass to burst through your speakers. “What’s a blogger to a rocker?” he asks, “What’s a rocker to The Dare?” Point taken. [5/5]
‘You’re Invited’: When ‘You’re Invited’ was unleashed as the next single from What’s Wrong with New York?, it felt a little anticlimactic. It lacked the sleazy scent of its predecessors but, somehow, amidst the album running, it fits in seamlessly. Bouncy bass twangs and pulsing percussion provide a slight change of pace, while Smith invites you to join him in the revolution. [3/5]
‘All Night’: If you’re not a fan of The Dare’s suit-wearing, cig-smoking, hedonistic schtick, you’ll hate ‘All Night’. Smith describes crawling into bed with his shoes on, getting wasted, and staying up, you guessed it, all night. LCD Soundsystem may be most people’s reference point for The Dare’s influences, but there are hints of Hot Chip, here, too. [3.5/5]
‘Elevation’: Smith’s synths are a little more subdued on ‘Elevation’, which provides a glimpse at a more emotional side of The Dare through dark sunglasses. He’s still detailing sleepless nights and drug-taking, but he’s also ruminating on ephemerality of these memories and the inescapability of love. [4/5]
‘Movement’: As if leaning into the LCD Soundsystem comparisons, The Dare names his penultimate track ‘Movement’, a title matched by volatile electronica and short vocalised bursts. “I can’t come down,” Smith repeats over and over until the soundscape falls into that all-too-familiar bass sound. [4/5]
‘You Can Never Go Home’: Perhaps reflecting on his meteoric rise to fame or the discomfort of a party lifestyle, The Dare concedes that he can “never go home.” It’s another more subdued offering, with synths that sparkle, blissful backing vocals and a Dave Matthews Band reference. “Sometimes I only love my stereo,” Smith admits. [4.5/5]
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