DC Gore - All These Things Review
DC Gore releases his art pop debut today via Domino. We took a dive into his dystopian electro world and review All These Things track by track.
01. Millenium People:
Field recordings of steady cars cruising by seem to blend into a crispy ocean current that sucks you in with each wave. It's alluring, it’s the opening of Millennium People, the first track from All These Things. Synths acquaint themselves with a whisper and echo over each other until they reach their summit, drums cut the climb and DC Gore makes his introduction. His lyrics on this track are clever and amusing. The layered synth patterns paint a neon city scene reminiscent of a Refn movie. The music makes you feel like you’re Ryan Gosling in Drive, but the grounding witticism of DC Gore’s lyrics means that you’re actually on the morning commute down the A41 on a grey Monday dawn. It’s a cinematic satire that you can dance to. At just over 6 minutes, the intro track song deconstructs itself layer by layer to an end.
02. Nietzsche On The Beach:
Continuing the synth party with happier tones is Neitzsche on The Beach. We get to hear more examples of DC Gore’s ingenious social commentary:
“Belly fat and seaweed
Burning on the beach
So won't you stop explaining
The foreigners invading
Or why it's always raining
It's all the same to me
When I am by the sea”
Much like the previous track, the propulsive holiday beats coupled with DC Gore’s frank and derisive lyrics don’t feel like a natural pairing, but they work.
03. Need You Tonight:
After our fiery introduction to DC Gore’s universe, the third track is a nice breather. Need You Tonight is one of the softer songs from the album. Its gentle tropical beats and more delicate techy sounds mean that DC Gore is still with us, but it’s not as exuberant as the rest of the album, it’s always good to have a slow jam in the mix.
“It's a very real possibility that we might be living in the end times, you know? This might be how we're going to go out. And we've got this incredible opportunity to experience life, so why not make the most of it?” DC Gore
04. Set You Free:
More of an orchestral beginning for this track. Set You Free has a darkness about it, the verses feeling like the more menacing side of your conscience purring in your ear. The chorus is a bop, though. What could be menacing about a bop?
05. I Like You:
I Like You has a familiarity about it, like something you’ve heard before but you can’t quite put your finger on it. It feels a bit like Eurovision or a football club anthem from the 90s. It’s warm, anthemic and might be the best track on the album.
06. California:
Delicate woodwind and brass notes decorate the intro and interludes for track six; California. Like the rest of the album, California has melancholic undertones but is still dancefloor-focused. The second half of the song is great, it’s bright, and the layering is rich and cleverly chaotic. Out of all the tracks on All These Things, California will be the most intriguing to see in a live setting.
07. Sisyphus:
Its title is aptly named, Sisyphus definitely has an ascending feel to it. Like the rest of the album, the production for Sisyphus is crisp. The combination of DC Gore’s lyrics and his voice is like salted caramel, syrupy but alkalic at the same time.
08. Bodies:
Like Need You Tonight, the delicate, soft samba mood of Bodies, is a welcome recess from the more spirited tracks on the album. The plaintive piano chords, tender guitar and gentle brass feel sweet together. The sonder is abundant on this track.
09. All These Things:
The title track marks the end of DC Gore’s debut album. It feels fitting and its place in the track list is well suited. This song feels both sombre and hopeful, feelings of which are fluid throughout the album. All these Things sticks out as one of the more reflective tracks.
“There are so many themes in there of failure and frustration (personal and political), shame and longing, but in the end, there is a hope to it. All these things that feel so all-consuming at the time become quotidian in the wake of a global pandemic.” – DC Gore
This is a good album to drive to, the track listing feels well thought out and you don’t find yourself impulsively reaching for the skip button. The songs are on the lengthy side but they are structured in a way that doesn’t make them feel boring or overstretched. All These Things is one of those records where you’re fifteen minutes deep and unsure if it's the first song you’ve been listening to the entire time, it's a good thing. The album feels like its nine mini sonic journeys umbrella’d under an even bigger adventure. The juxtaposition of the crafty lyrics and the dancey beats surprisingly compliment each other. DC Gore’s lyrical storytelling is similar to that of Alex Cameron, it’s effortless but is clearly deliberate and well articulated. All These Things appeals to fans of Soft Hair, Pet Shop Boys, Kirin J Callinan and Eurovision.