New York-based electroclash musician The Dare burst into the mainstream not too long ago following a production credit on Charli XCX’s “Guess,” but has shown he can be much more than a producer on his debut album “What’s Wrong With New York?”
The rise of Harrison Patrick Smith, or The Dare, has felt like a long time coming for those who have been tapped into the scene for a while. His debut single, “Girls”, back in 2022 relatively encapsulates what to expect from his debut album.
In the song, Smith runs down a list of various women which he likes: small girls, tall girls, girls with cigarettes in the back of the club and even girls who have a bone to pick with him, to name a few. The outlandish lyrics paired with production akin to LCD Soundsystem gained Smith notoriety early on.
Ultimately, the track got him noticed by Charli XCX, who said in an interview with Vanity Fair that the song “goes off at parties.”
The collaboration between the two on “Guess” felt like a natural addition to the phenomenon of “Brat” summer, referencing Charli’s 2024 album. Smith even got a shoutout on the hit too, with the line “Send them to The Dare, yeah, I think he’s with it.”
But as for his debut record, released mere months after “Guess”, Smith expanded on his desire to bring back indie sleaze, a fashion trend from the mid-2000s to early 2010s in the U.S. and U.K. Smith’s signature look is a loose-fitting suit with a slightly-unbuttoned dress shirt and thin black tie.
However, coupled with Smith’s look is some ear-catching production with an addictive replay value.
The album itself plays at a clip, at just under 27 and a half minutes in length, and still functions about as cohesively as you could expect from a DJ.
The album’s opening track “Open Up” is admittedly not the most appealing on the record and I really just cannot get past the annoying refrain of the chorus on the track.
“Good Time” showed more promise though, with a catchy chorus and some futuristic production interlaced.
Funnily enough, the third track “Perfume,” is probably the most lyrically appealing of the album, even though the subject matter is just that. Allegedly, Smith was able to acquire perfume from Paris costing just $5.99, and if you guessed that would drastically increase his sex appeal you would be right!
Smith also jokes about spraying it in his grave “so the worms can get a whiff,” and that he wants to “smell real good, while I’m burning in hell.” Deeply unserious, but also deeply hilarious.
After the obligatory inclusion of the aforementioned hit “Girls,” the album really hits its stride in the mid-section.
“I Destroyed Disco” is a cocky and self-assured track that sees Smith take a break from the sleazy lyrics into the realm of braggadocio.
From the song, we get the unforgettable “What’s a blogger to a rocker? What’s a rocker to The Dare?” Though no doubt over-the-top, one can see why this was one of the songs that went viral off the record; it’s catchy.
The next track “You’re Invited” takes on a more groovy tone with a satisfying build-up toward the end which contains a Daft Punk-esque musical breakdown, though short-lived.
“All Night” is a more traditional summer-like house party anthem, nothing crazy but I can still get behind it.
By far the longest song off the record at just under four minutes, “Elevation” experiments with a more emotional tone, with Smith reflecting on longing for a romantic partner. The song stands in stark contrast to the rest of the album, though I can appreciate the experimentation here.
After having this thing on repeat for the past week or so, I remain hopeful that Smith will keep his spot in the music scene, and I think this is a must-listen, certainly for “Brat” fans.
Though we unfortunately don’t get an answer as to what’s wrong with New York, I think it is fair to say The Dare is what’s right with New York.
Nathan Hope can be contacted at
nhope@kscequinox.com
