The latest instalment from the psychedelic alt-rock band The Dandy Warhols ramps up the odd factor to a whole new level. Known for hits such as ‘We Used To Be Friends’ and ‘Bohemian Like You’, The Dandy Warhols have presented us with their weird and wavy sound for 25 years now. Their tenth studio album, Why You So Crazy, really captures the essence of the band’s style.

According to a recent interview with lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor, the album’s title was inspired by the current state of society in this day and age and how so many people are essentially acting crazy. “I’ve never felt so strongly that people are losing their minds”, Taylor-Taylor explains. She and the rest of the band created this album with the ultimate goal of portraying “emotional clarity” which is, as Taylor-Taylor stated “what the world needs more than ever right now”. With all of this considered, I definitely see that the album reflects this effectively.

While, in terms of tracks, the album has very mixed styles, the overall aesthetic has this dreary and almost post-apocalyptic vibe to it and a gloomy quirkiness that’s almost reminiscent of the Gorillaz album Demon Days. The versatility in the tracks makes sense as this boosts the crazy factor in my opinion. There’s the distorted rock anthems such as the album’s teaser track ‘Be Alright’ and ‘Motor City Steel’, the ominous electronic pieces like ‘Next Thing I Know’ and ‘To The Church’ and even some country-inspired numbers like ‘Highlife’ and ‘Sins Are Forgiven’.

It’s easy to tell that each of the tracks take a stab at some form of societal issue, whether that be related to religion, politics or celebrity culture, it’s quite a contextual mixture.

My personal favourites from this album are both ‘Terraform’ and another teaser track ‘Forever’, which you could say are the first and last actual tracks, aside from the interludes that cap each end of the track list. I think that I like both of these tracks so much because of how true to the album’s overall theme they are, with both feeling incredibly gloomy while also having more of a cohesive sound than some of the album’s other tracks.

Overall, I feel that this album certainly succeeds in its aim: to reflect just how crazy the world has gotten and to shed some light on such a delusive day and age. While I would unfortunately turn to older albums if I were looking for a more enjoyable sound, Why You So Crazy really gets its point across and excels in its atmosphere.

Joe Boothby

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