Dave - We’re All Alone in This Together

Pitchfork 76

Read Will Pritchard’s review of the album.

The Guardian 0

The rapper’s long-awaited second album darts between hedonistic swagger and unsparing social commentary to cement his place at rap’s apex

It’s hard to conceive of a better reception for an album than that which greeted Psychodrama, Streatham rapper Dave’s 2019 debut. It won both the muso-friendly Mercury prize and the populist-minded Brit award for album of the year (a feat previously managed by only Arctic Monkeys’ debut); debuted at No 1 and earned a tranche of five-star reviews.

And its impact extended well beyond the music industry. Delivered through the framework of a therapy session, Psychodrama offered nuanced, affecting social commentary and a rich seam of political protest: during a performance of the standout track, Black, at last year’s Brits, the musician added new lyrics – including the claim that “our prime minister is a real racist”. To many Dave’s remarks made perfect sense: this was a young Black man schooling politicians and the public on racism, injustice and poverty with intelligence, logic and empathy – the polar opposite of a Tory soundbite.

Related: Dave meets Marcus Rashford: ‘I rate you so highly, because you take football seriously’

The Guardian 0

(Neighbourhood)
With introspective but operatic rap, Dave paints pictures on an album that’s part confessional, part social critique

In 2019, Dave’s Mercury prize- and Brit award-winning debut, Psychodrama, became a classic overnight; now it has a rival for introspection, operatic quality and wordplay. Tender piano arrangements, unadulterated storytelling and sermon-like verses flood this topical album that is part confessional poetry, part social commentary. “I’m a young black belligerent. Child of an immigrant. Lifestyle frivolous,” he raps on opener We’re All Alone. The seeming juxtaposition of these realities means that while he can be bragging about Rolexes with Stormzy on Clash, he’ll peel away at his own materialism on Survivor’s Guilt with the admission that, behind the glitz and glamour, he is “cryin’ in the driver’s seat”. It’s not all about the self. “My Jamaicans, the entire party, you can’t see?” he proclaims, honouring the island’s enormous contribution to British culture on the violin-rich Three Rivers, a track about migration that discusses the Windrush scandal.

The highlight is Heart Attack, a glorious nine-minute stream of consciousness where his feelings spill out in abundance, on everything from knife crime to politicians doing cocaine. “Round here, the main way to provide for your kin is in a flick blade, little push-bike and a sim.” When Dave raps, he paints murals. James Blake production, Daniel Kaluuya cameos and Wizkid vocals are just surplus.