The fresh supergroup project Dreamcar comes from the minds of three members of the iconic band, No Doubt with accompaniment from Davey Havok of AFI. Finding an official origin as far back as 2014, the band’s secret status is finally being fully released to the public through their self-titled debut album.

Kicking things off on the record is ‘After I Confess’ and the upbeat, pop tones are instantly infectious. The track’s incredibly catchy chorus acts as a nice greeting to the band and will have listeners singing along even after their first listen. There is a nice level of production behind the track and a distinct level of subtle intricacy underneath Davey’s powerful tones, that make this track a fantastic start to the record.

The strongest trend that is immediately noticed when listening to almost any song on the album is Tony Kanal’s phenomenal bass work. The man’s basslines are by far the strongest asset this band hold and in all honesty, they are easily capable enough to carry the entire record. The level of pure diversity on such a high calibre of bass is simply mesmerising and Tony’s use of different slapping techniques across each song is exquisite. I have genuinely not come across basslines of this level on a record in an awfully long time and they deserve to share the spotlight.

There are some aspects to the record which feel somewhat predictable, for such a highly regarded band, showing a distinct lack of diversity. Tracks such as ‘Do Nothing’ seem to play on one too many clichéd phrases, which really takes away the bulk of the spark behind the track. This is not the only example and there are perhaps one too many numbers which feel rather ‘boybandish’ in nature. Once again Tony’s bass is the only real saving grace to the track.

This being said, none of these tracks are particularly bad musically, and the majority of songs do hold an immense level of dance and pop that many will definitely enjoy. ‘Kill For Candy’ is perhaps one of the best examples of this and the upbeat guitar riffs and phasing throughout makes the song one that was made to play to the masses. ‘Ever Lonely’ is the highlight of the entire record. The track’s intense drumming pattern from Adrian Young and the use of Davey’s distorted vocal tones paint a beautifully atmospheric picture before slowly building to yet another stunning example of Tony’s funky basslines. The track continues to build into a fulfilling chorus that is arguably the best on the record and the best demonstration of all aspects of talent this band hold.

Overall, Dreamcar does feel like an album which doesn't quite live up to it’s supergroup title. The record, whilst holding an immense level of talent and precision from all members, and some stunning production across the board, doesn't blend as fluidly as you would expect it to. It feels as though progressing from No Doubt to an entirely new sound has confused the majority of band members. They are still in the experimental stages of discovering their true sound. As a band, there is little debate that Dreamcar have an immense amount of potential, however the group need to continue to find and develop their sound into one that feels like their own, instead of a forced pop-like persona, before they can really meet the masses.
Ben Walker

Website: dreamcarmusic.com
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