Psychodrama

「Six Paths」(2016) 、「Game Over」(2017)と2枚のEPで評価を得たサウス・ロンドン出身のラッパー、デイヴ。2017年モボ・アワードで〈Best Newcomer〉、2019年にはマキュリー・プライズで〈Best Album〉を受賞。さらにエド・シーランのアルバム『No.6 Collaborations Project』に参加するなど人気・実力共に上昇中!

UKチャートでナンバー1にも輝いた本作は、〈Psychodrama(心理劇)〉という心理療法がタイトルにつけらていることからも分かるように、このセラピーについてがコンセプトになっている。サウンドは多彩で、UKヒップホップ/グライムの流れにあるとはいえ、11分に及ぶノンビートの大作「Lesley」、メロディアスでキャッチーな「Voicec」、ストリングスやホーンの導入や自身のピアノもフィーチャーした楽曲も収録。ゲストにはBurna Boy、J Hus、Ruelleが参加。

That were only getting Daves debut album in 2019 tells us a lot about the artist himself. With a Drake co-sign, a number one-charting hit, and a string of viral singles dating back to 2016, the London-born rapper had every opportunity to secure the bag, whip up a half-baked debut and guarantee himself the big-label sophomore. Yet Dave wanted it to get it right the first time. Distilling his life experiences into a concept, his debut album PSYCHODRAMA comes fully formed, a nuanced project imitating the form of therapy his brother experienced in prison. With snippets from his therapist dividing the album into three self-described acts -- Environment, Relationships, and Social Compass -- the project sees Dave re-enacting lived experiences and mind states in self-reflection. The result is a thoroughly compelling self-examination; taking us track by track through attitudes, occurrences, and locations, Dave paints a detailed self-portrait, wrapped in strands of both past and present. Much like the late-teen Nas on Illmatic, Daves pen works beyond his years. PSYCHODRAMA holds visions of broken relationships, poverty, and deep-set depression, yet theyre never inflated; through projecting his own experiences, Dave reflects the conditions of his South London home with frankness and personal grievance. Whether it be the rallying cry for racial identity on Black, generational voicing of Environment, or 11-minute domestic abuse narrative of Lesley, Daves words consistently blur the line between personal and universal, addressing significant issues aptly while giving greater insight into the artist himself. Yet far from just blunt reportage, PSYCHODRAMAs lyrics are steeped in wordplay. Lines like Now hes cuttin through bricks like the 118 manifest triple entendres with ease, while others like Ive got a baby, a crossbow like Cupid employ sly references to Daves home city. As well as adding authorial color, this wordplay gives the albums blunter moments a greater poignancy: I used to cry about my dad until my f*cking eyes burnt cuts sharply through the riffing of Psycho, while Environment deconstructs public perception with You see this industry where everybody came up / I see a bag of weird rappers. Thats not to mention late gems Lesley and Drama, skeletal narrative outpourings that tear away the wittiness to deliver heart-wrenching stories of distraught families and isolation. With the significance of the narratives being woven, its essential that the albums production doesnt attempt to take the spotlight for itself. Luckily, PSYCHODRAMAs production is thoroughly complementary, adding texture and resonance to Daves words while ensuring his voice remains center stage. The tools of this are organic and instrumental: Purple Heart and Lesley reflect isolation and grief through strings, while vocal samples put a haunting strand through Screwface Capital and Black. The primary force at work here, though, is Daves piano. Putting tool to tone, he morphs the piano to suit his needs, reflecting everything from joy to aggression through note placement and complementary electronics. The result is an album where sonics reinforce moods, allowing Dave to express a wealth of emotions in a measured, complex approach. Packing dense lyricism, poignant introspection, and resonant production into a neatly compiled concept, PSYCHODRAMA has all the makings of a generational classic. The product of a MC beyond his years, Daves debut album stands firmly among the Godfathers and Made in the Manors as one of the finest British rap albums of the decade. ~ David Crone