We're All Alone In This Together [2 LP]

by Dave

Overview

PSYCHODRAMA, Dave's visionary debut album, was empowered by its fiercely local perspective. The stains and triumphs of London living trickled through the record's very fibers, manifesting in direct homage to "Streatham," sly references to Brixton and Bow, and the localized minutiae of "Lesley." Yet with his second album, We're All Alone in This Together, the scope has opened somewhat. The Dave of 2021 is rallying against Middle Eastern refugee crises and deepening his Nigerian ties -- a rapper with his feet planted in London, but with a gaze stretching worldwide. With his acute pen, Dave folds international concerns into the London diaspora: "Three Rivers" poignantly examines three eras of British immigration, "Lazarus" pings between London and Lagos, and "Heart Attack" contextualizes cyclical violence with its "Somali dad ran away from a war, now his son's in a war." PSYCHODRAMA's localization is far from gone -- "Verdansk" kicks the album off with Brick Lane wisecracks and a "three-car convoy in Sutton" -- but the project, like its cover, feels refreshingly open, floating contemplatively amid global contexts and local tales. As with all of Dave's works, WAAITT is defined by its statement pieces. The album's seven-plus-minute monoliths employ his talents to different ends: "In the Fire" is an awe-striking Avengers Assemble of U.K. rap, "Both Sides of a Smile" folds conflicted romances into James Blake's harmonies, and "Heart Attack" provides another meditative masterwork. They are brought to fulmination, like the "Question Time"s before them, by the rapper's ageless insight and evocative lyricism. "In the Fire" employs a reference to Jakub Blaszczykowski as not just a triple entendre but a brutal allegory for losing a parent to immigration services. Among the set's shorter cuts are a wealth of staples: the minimalist strut of "Titanium" and "Funky Friday" finds a solid counterpart in "Verdansk" and "Clash," while PSYCHODRAMA's sublime opener/closer combo is matched by "We're All Alone" and "Survivor's Guilt." Dave even manages to succeed where Fredo's "Hickory Dickory Dock" so publicly fell, nailing nursery-rhyme trappings on "Twenty to One." The only dip in excellence is with the airier "Law of Attraction" and "System," which feel out of sync with the album's core in a way that "Purple Heart" and "Location" didn't. Adrift on the open sea, Dave makes a potent second statement. His first steps outside of PSYCHODRAMA's concrete sphere of influence continue to cement his generational talent. ~ David Crone

Product Details

Release Date:	07/22/2022
Label:	Geffen
UPC:	0602445214655
Rank:	57982

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Dave   Primary Artist,Vocals
James Blake   Primary Artist,Vocals
Stormzy   Primary Artist,Vocals
Wizkid   Primary Artist,Vocals
Snoh Aalegra   Primary Artist,Vocals
Boj   Primary Artist,Vocals
Joshua McKenzie   Drums
Joe Reeves   Guitar
Ghetts   Vocals
Giggs   Vocals
Kyle Evans   Multi Instruments
Ayo Oyerinde   Piano
Emlyn Maillard   Piano
Nana Rogues   Flute
Tobie Tripp   Strings
Fredo   Vocals
Jae5   Synthesizer
Meekz   Vocals
Emmanuel Osei Asamoah   Saxophone
Daniel Kaluuya   Vocals
Nathan Tettey   Vocals
Molly Cowan   Vocals
ShaSimone   Vocals
The Music Confectionary   Vocals

Technical Credits

Milton Biggham   Composer
Jason Thompson   Composer
Joe Reeves   Composer,Producer
Ghetts   Composer
Giggs   Composer
Olivia Williams   Choir Arrangement,Vocal Arrangement
Kyle Evans   Composer,Producer,Musical Producer,Additional Production
James Blake   Composer,Producer,Musical Producer,Additional Production
Dominic Maker   Composer,Producer,Additional Production
Richard Isong   Composer
Aleysha Gordon   Choir Arrangement,Vocal Arrangement
Nana Rogues   Producer,Musical Producer,Additional Production
Justin Clarke   Composer
Stormzy   Composer
Joel Peters   Engineer
Ayodeji Balogun   Composer
Leandro Hidalgo   Mixing,Mastering
Snoh Aalegra   Composer,Producer
Michael Omari, Jr.   Composer
Tobie Tripp   Arranger,String Arrangements
Jorja Smith   Composer
Dave   Composer
David Omoregie   Composer
Fredo   Composer
Luke Pickering   Engineer
Jae5   Composer,Producer
Teniola Abosede   Choir Arrangement,Vocal Arrangement
P2J   Composer,Producer,Additional Production
Jonathan Mensah   Composer
Tay Iwar   Composer
Jonny Leslie   Engineer
Boj   Composer
Meekz   Composer
Eight9FLY   Composer
Emmanuel Isong   Composer
Santan   Producer,Musical Producer,Additional Production
Luke Grieve   Composer
Emmanuel Osei Asamoah   Composer
Bolaji Ojudokan   Composer
Mico Howles   Composer