Dreamcar have finally
unveiled their first song from their long gestating, tight-lipped supergroup. The
band, comprised of former No Doubt
members Tom Dumont, Adrian Young and Tony Canal with AFI’s Davey Havok taking Gwen Steffani’s former mantel as lead
singer have been shrouded in mystery and causing a stir of fervent debate and
anticipation for almost a year now. After much speculation, Dreamcar present the first glimpse of
new music with lead single Kill for Candy,
taken from the forthcoming eponymous debut LP, and it finds them as an exciting
proposition.
The song is full on eighties,
its synth heavy, rich production is evident from the off. The layered textures
that echo familiarity to many beloved acts from the 1980’s such as Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, The Cure and Pet
Shop Boys make a bold statement as to what kind of band this is. Dreamcar is a new-wave outfit, their
influences are omnipresent throughout, however this is not just mere imitation
and hero worship. Among the many nods to pops former glory are moments of
undeniable modernity that make Dreamcar
very current and of their time.
Davey Havok takes centre
stage and his unmistakable voice wraps itself around delicious melodies that
twist and meander in that Morrissey-ish way that Havok does so well. For fans
of AFI this heavily eighties inspired sound is not polarizing at all, it is
where the band have sat for the best part of the last ten years and it is when
Havok is expressing himself in this manner that he is most affecting. There is
an authenticity to Davey’s delivery when he sings shimmering pop songs full of
pomp, theatricality and drama that allows the singer to expose himself in ways
that is intriguing, elusive and seductive. There are overt sexual themes that
evoke themselves from certain lyrical phrases during Kill for Candy such as ‘what’s on our tongues is less discreet,
before it dissolves its oh so sweet’. Moment’s like this embody the true essence
of Davey Havok and the Dreamcar
project itself.
This is a sexy, evocative, lustrous
pop-rock project and its musicians are extremely experienced and competent at
writing and performing slick radio pop hits so effortlessly. The rhythm section
is tight and driving and the guitar lines dance over Havok’s lush and varied
melodies. The band perform like they have been together for years, perhaps it
is their respective experience that makes this all seem so effortless, or their
seemingly kismet compatibility. Despite the origins of the group emerging from
the drama surrounding No Doubt, it
isn’t at all noticeable. Dreamcar
feels like a real band, not a side-project or supergroup, whose members appear
destined to be making music together. Kill
for Candy is short, sweet and as enticing as it is catchy, with the LP just
around the corner, Dreamcar could be
something very special.
