Skip to main content

IN REVIEW: Fucked Up - "Dose Your Dreams"


On paper, Fucked Up's fifth full-length album is a return to form; revisiting the story from 2011's David Comes to Life and offering a sprawling 18-song set that can't be contained to one CD sure looks like the Fucked Up we know and love.

However, it doesn't take long to figure out just how different Dose Your Dreams is from previous records; there's a psychedelic cloud permeating this record, and a wide breadth of instrumentation we might not be used to hearing. For instance, toward the end of Raise Your Voice Joyce, what seems like a standard punk rager gets dreamy courtesy of a wild saxophone solo. Electronic flourishes are present throughout, and some tracks (like the wonderfully groovy title track and the thumping left turn Mechanical Bull) have a hypnotically danceable quality to them. There's also a pronounced step back from Damian Abraham, especially as the album plays out and the mic is handed to a wider and wider array of guest vocalists.

That said, no one does a concept record quite like Fucked Up and, at its heart, the expanded musical palette and the larger guest list doesn't distract too much from the seemingly effortless majesty that's in Fucked Up's DNA. On first listen, a true sense of wonder develops as the album plays out; the feeling that anything can happen is palpable, and this record is very good at keeping the listener guessing. Dose Your Dreams is packed with twists, turns and all sorts of sonic trickery.

Though it ultimately ends up being more notable for its diversity than the true quality of its songs, Dose Your Dreams is nonetheless another astonishing accomplishment for a band that's built their career upon astonishing accomplishments. Over the course of its 82 minutes, this record proves time and time again just how adventurous and visionary Fucked Up can be; at its conclusion, fans can expect to be a little overwhelmed by the scope of what they just listened to. Considering the scope of their discography to this point, I'd say mission most definitely accomplished.

October 5, 2018 • Arts & Crafts
Highlights Raise Your Voice Joyce • Dose Your Dreams • I Don't Wanna Live in This World Anymore

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Year in Rock 2025

  Alright, I've got some explaining to do.   By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but:   a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...
Post a Comment
Read more

Year in Rock 2013 Nominee: Arctic Monkeys

ARCTIC MONKEYS Do I Wanna Know? From: AM Released: September 10 That Year in Rock 2012's Single of the Year R U Mine? ended up on this album is pleasing, and it fits the motif well enough. But R U Mine? isn't what makes Arctic Monkeys' fifth album an Album of the Year contender. Sweaty, sultry and pulsing with sexual energy, AM is the kind of record that's just as effective whether you're chilling out after a long day, staring into a mirror prepping yourself for a late night clubbing session or setting the mood for some escapades in the boudoir.
Post a Comment
Read more

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up!  What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...
Post a Comment
Read more