Nearly two years after first appearing on the scene, Australian solo artist D.D Dumbo (Oliver Perry) launches his debut album Utopia Defeated in an electrifying fashion. Normally known for his one-man band performances, D.D Dumbo takes a new approach on Utopia Defeated, incorporating a symphony of instruments ranging from tambouras to bassoons, while still staying true to the folk-pop fusion showcased in his 2013 self-recorded EP Tropical Oceans. What we are left with is a well-balanced, worldly album filled with catchy rhythms, powerful vocals and an introspective atmosphere.
The album starts off with the songs “Walrus” and “Satan,” which happen to be both of the teaser tracks D.D Dumbo released earlier this year. Pop-y and upbeat, these singles are sure to get stuck in your head, making it easy to overlook the unusual things about which Perry is singing, like walruses and UFOs. Along with that, Perry also has a distinct way of slurring his words together, which causes a lot of what he is saying to be lost in the process. You can expect to find yourself in a constant cycle of stopping and rewinding in order to catch what he has just said. This, coupled with his bizarre metaphors and atypical song topics, creates a listening experience that can become convoluted and tiresome at times, pulling the listener out of the atmosphere those features were intended to create.
The third track slows the pace of the album down quite a bit. “In the Water” is a Bon Iver-esque folk ballad with almost no discernable beat. The song is short and sweet, playing with the idea of feeling detached from the world, as though you were trapped underwater. Utopia Defeated does a good job of breaking up its energy with the inclusion of these slower songs sprinkled throughout.
Speaking of energy, the sixth song “King Franco Picasso” brings plenty of it, leading it to be one of the more memorable tracks on the album. Grimy and dark, this track showcases Perry’s abilities as a vocalist as he delivers an emotionally charged performance. The instrumental sounds like it would be more at home on a hip-hop album, incorporating the use of heavy kick drums, pitch shifted vocals and straight hi-hat patterns to drive the song. Based on its title, the track appears to be an interpretation of Picasso's work titled “The Dream and Lie of Franco” in which Picasso displays his distaste for the fascist Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. The lyrics in the second verse, “It still pains me to see him bathing in my brother’s blood,” give a clear indication of what this song is about. If you can’t tell by now, D.D Dumbo is far from being an ordinary songwriter.
Each track on the album is unique and memorable. D.D Dumbo does a great job of creating songs that are all unmistakably different, yet work cohesively with one another. Every song here can hold its own outside the context of the album, which speaks to the talent Perry has as a songwriter.
At first glance, Utopia Defeated will be hard to wrap your head around. With lyrics spanning a wide topic range, it’s hard to pinpoint a concrete theme for this project. It would be easy to write off what is being said as nonsense, but a deeper look at the lyrics will reveal a stream of consciousness regarding Perry’s place in the natural world, hidden behind poetic language and abstract metaphors. Unfortunately, Perry’s convoluted delivery of these lyrics, intentional or not, works against itself by making it hard to hear what his message actually is. That being said, the shining star of this project is the sound D.D Dumbo creates, not the message that comes with it. Instruments from every corner of the world can be heard throughout the album, pulling inspiration from multiple genres to create an ambiance that is truly unique.
In the end, Utopia Defeated is a strong debut for D.D Dumbo. While it may not be the most groundbreaking and flawless release of the year, it showcases the raw talent and creativity Perry possesses. D.D Dumbo should be on everyone’s radar for whatever project he has lined up next.
Grade: B+
