Psychodrama — Dave | Album Review
A masterful debut from the British rapper
Many words have been written about the ordeals of celebrity, and a considerable number have also been put together about the unfortunate struggles many have with their mental health. On Psychodrama, Dave manages to expound on both of these weighty topics while keeping clear the main focus of the album: a young man attempting to make sense of and find his place in a harsh and ever-changing environment.
Dave released Psychodrama in March of 2019. It came off the back of two EP’s from the previous year that had put him near the front of the new wave of British rappers, jostling for position on the UK rap scene. On those two projects, we heard an artist who was very in touch with the kind of music he wanted to make. There were a number of common themes that run through both Six Paths and Game Over and he used the platform those records gave him to produce a masterful body of work in Psychodrama.
The album starts off with “Psycho”, an introspective track that also introduces the character of a therapist, who appears on multiple songs on the record and is an extension of the mental health theme that begins with the name of the record. Psychodrama is a psychotherapy technique that uses dramatic self-representation and other methods to help patients better understand themselves and their conditions. This choice was apparently inspired by the therapy sessions Dave’s brother went through in prison, which he decided to incorporate into the album. The therapist provides a different dimension to the music and creates a continuity between songs by speaking about themes that were just explored or about to be visited on another track. By carefully managing the number of times the character appears on the album, Dave ensures that he is a net positive addition to the album rather than being an over-used gimmick that becomes tiresome after a while.
The song features some haunting background vocals, courtesy American singer Ruelle’s “Game of Survival”, and it delves into his blossoming career, struggles as a child and a number of other subjects. He displays his clever lyricism and flow, switching up the tempo during the song. The backend of the song is where things get very interesting. With about a minute left, the beat drops off, leaving a simple piano accompaniment as Dave talks about struggling with his having to stay strong for his single mother, insecurities about his career and struggling with his mental health. Then he gives a piece of advice to people who may be going through a similar experience to his, (If you’re thinking ’bout doing it / Suicide doesn’t stop the pain, you’re only moving it) admonishing them not to use suicide as means to overcome what they are feeling. He uses the album to talk about a number of important issues and this is only the first of many.
On “Streatham” Dave talks about his childhood and some of the incidents he experienced growing up in Streatham, a district in South London. He once again tries to be a voice of encouragement to young people, especially those from his own neighbourhood (Man are dead or in jail, that’s useless / Tell a yute, “If you’ve got a brain, then use it).
The third song on the record is quite possibly the most iconic one. Now Dave, ever since — and even before — releasing those pair of EP’s at the age of 19 was never one to avoid using his platform to talk about socio-political events going on around him, in fact, it seemed like he relished the opportunity. “Question Time” off his Game Over EP was a scathing attack of government policy both within and outside the UK. On “Black” however, he turned his attention to the even more sensitive subject of race. The song opens with a clean piano arrangement that is a constant feature on most of the songs on the record. Dave is skilled at playing the keyboard himself and the influence of that is inescapable on the album. (Look, black is beautiful, black is excellent) With the first line of the song, he praises the virtues of black people and does it again multiple times on the track. However, he also speaks about the issues they face, from large, far-reaching ones such as racial discrimination and cultural appropriation, to having an elderly lady refuse your help to cross a road. The varied stories he tells make it dynamic, the message is hard-hitting, and overall it is an amazing commentary on, “…being south London, black, Nigerian, that’s what I’m mainly basing it on,” as Dave said in an interview with the Observer.
“Purple Heart” presents a change of pace from the intensity of “Black”. A sigh of relief which even Dave seems to take. He relaxes into the smooth guitar and drum arrangement, professing his affection for a love interest and recalling the various experiences they have together — intimate and otherwise. This then leads to the first collaboration on the album. On “Location”, Burna Boy provides a slick chorus onto which Dave lays a couple of high-spirited verses that showcase some of his versatility. “Location” is a very party-friendly song and it enjoyed a lot of success during that year and beyond. For “Disaster”, Dave teams up with fellow British rapper J Hus and the two trade punchlines and quips, flowing together seamlessly. The chemistry on show in this song is quite impressive and I am sure we can expect more from that duo.
“Screwface Capital” is a nod to Dave’s home city of London, with all its edges and flaws. It also contains one of my favourite moments on the album — a 10 second period where Dave raps in absolute silence after the instrumental had dropped off abruptly. It is a nice little bit that adds to the intrigue of the song. “Environment” is a look behind the scenes of what looks like a completely glamorous industry (You see our gold chains and our flashy cars / I see a lack of self worth and I see battle scars). The outro on this song is one of the vignettes from the therapist character as he asks Dave “Do you ever just sit and wonder about the stories behind the people you meet day by day? Does it make you feel grateful, in a weird way, for your life and problems?” A fitting intro to the longest song on the album, “Lesley”, a story about abuse, betrayal and struggle.
On “Lesley” Dave returns to his dependable keys. A simple piano riff serves as the vehicle upon which the story takes off, taking on various different dimensions as the story unfolds, with the addition of some strings and steadily gathering pace until reaching a crescendo when the main conflict occurs. There is a slight break in the music at the story’s end and then the music starts back up with Ruelle’s verse at the end. This is one of the few issues I have with the album. I felt like the transition between those two verses could have been smoother, more seamless since it leaves you on a bit of a cliff after the story is over. Apart from that, “Lesley” is a gripping story which Dave once again uses to provide some positive messaging to his audience who can relate to the events that have just been laid out (You see this time that I’m taking out to tell you the story is more than a song or track / It’s a message to a woman with a toxic man / I’m begging you to get support if you’re lost or trapped).
Ruelle had a considerable influence on this album. Apart from her feature on Lesley, two of the songs contain samples from the American singer’s work. “You know, Ruelle, the whole album is based around her work,” Dave said, speaking in an interview.
To end it all, Dave presented “Drama”. From the title alone, it was obvious that this song would be a fitting ending to the album. From the first song “Psycho” to this last track “Drama” Dave has used Psychodrama to paint a deeply personal picture, “I think DAVE did a killer job of being really vulnerable with his story, his pain, his struggles,” a sentiment expressed by Josh Bruce Williams who worked with Dave on a couple of songs on the album, is one that I can definitely agree with. “Drama” is a note to Dave’s brother Christopher Omoregie who is in prison. In it, Dave relates the difficulty of living without an older male figure in his life and the disappointment and sadness he experienced when his brother, who he idolised, was sent to jail. It features some voice messages from Christopher, who recounts some of Dave’s attempts at rapping when he was younger, his own excitement when he first heard his brother’s songs on the radio and more poignantly, how dearly he values Dave for being the one to help him through the period he’s going through (Many nights man prayed, bruv / Somewhere someone’s gonna help me through this, man / Time, it took a while for man to recognise, boy, who you were gonna send / And you know what? Mans, I’m very proud)
“It’s all about expressing how you feel in whatever way you feel is the most creative to you…For me it was about making track[s] that shed some light on the person I am and the scope of the world around me.”
This album was more than just a collection of good songs. The various themes expressed within it, all of which were presented through the eyes of the artist, made it a very easily relatable project. Its authenticity gave us a window into the soul of a person who is passionate about the art form and put a lot of himself out there. Even though some of the sounds on the album could do with a bit more variation, overall, it sounded really good. For a debut album Dave could probably not have wished for a better record and I am backing him to go find his way over this very high bar that he has set on subsequent projects.
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