Everything about Psychodrama seems unlikely.
From the topics to the tone to the truths it depicts. Why? Because music surely has to hide behind something, doesn’t it? Psychodrama as a record works on two levels. First, you have what you can hear, and then you have what’s being said.
With what you can hear, it’s compelling. Unusual in tone and texture, its production powerful but not in a ‘big’ way. Instead, the power comes from subtle tones, reminiscent of RZA’s more experimental soundscapes. Like RZA, Dave uses the very slightest of flourishes to add unexpected impact, simple riffs that transport listeners to places, helping to build the story in the mind before a word is spoken.
What’s also fascinating are the structures; there’s seemingly not a chorus in sight, instead the songs have an experimental jazz, stream-of-consciousness feel whilst still having a driving, undeniable purpose – think Eddie Harris and Les McCann’s Compared To What or almost anything by Gil Scott-Heron.
It’s confessional, it’s honest, it foregoes self-aggrandising. Psychodrama tells a story of just what it takes to get here, the internal and external battles Dave has faced to become the man he is today. It’s bold, often difficult to comprehend, but compelling to listen to.
Opener Psycho is tense, ominous, very exciting. Like not knowing what’s around a corner, every additional blind bend only heightens the drama. Then it switches, the boldness gives way to insecurity and uncertainty. On the face of it Psycho seems like the most standard hip-hop track on the record, but as with everything on this album, appearances can be deceiving, and the moment the song turns is brilliant and more powerful than almost any other moment in British hip-hop.
In contrast, Streatham is a reflection on a conflicted past, the place where he grew up looming large in Dave’s mind. Streatham is the place that formed him and this clearly conflicts, it’s what made him who he is and that’s partly what he appears to be challenging throughout this record. Who is he and how much of this comes from growing up here?
But this is only the beginning of the questions: on Black, Dave challenges everything about himself on a fascinating essay on what it is to be black and everything that comes with that, good, bad and beyond. It isn’t merely a rallying cry, it’s a summoning of inner and outer demons, self-awareness and also awareness of outside expectation, an examination of self.
Screwface Capital has a brutal realism about a lifestyle most people won’t recognise, whilst still managing to question what this really means. This is reflected again on Environment, hitting like a powerful political polemic and personal confession all at once, done using an amazingly challenging lyrical flow that feels reminiscent of Blackalicious’s Alphabet Aerobics.
Drama is angry, bitter, emotive. But more importantly, Drama is crystal clear in what it’s trying to convey. Telling of the heartbreak and challenges he and his family have faced, Dave scrutinises the impact and fallout from these moments and how they have driven him. Lesley is a bold, conceptual piece of epic storytelling. A story that takes as long as it needs to take. Every second of the song’s 11 minutes is integral, rolling through powerful, moving, heartbreaking moments like some powerful hip-hop opera – it’s nothing short of staggering and like nothing else out there right now.
And that’s true of everything on Psychodrama. The record’s greatest achievements don’t come simply from the music or the songs but from its willingness to challenge the form itself. Not just hip-hop, but music in general.
It’s the record’s simplicity that makes it work. Dave has realised the demons and desires he and others face and is talking directly to them, not hiding behind them. This kind of honesty isn’t just harder than it looks, it takes an awareness most could never admit to. And to make this voice a truly compelling and integral listen is an amazing achievement.
Psychodrama hides behind nothing, musically, lyrically or conceptually. It’s a beautifully simple and honest record that says precisely what it means.
