Album Review: What's Wrong With New York? by The Dare

Haven't heard of The Dare? Well, if you've had a 'Brat Summer' there's a good chance you probably have. The suit-clad New York-based artist and producer is the epitome of cool at the minute. From producing Charli xcx and Billie Eilish's sultry chart-topper Guess to spearheading NYC's electroclash revival scene with his Freakquencies club nights - or even nostalgically bringing it back to 2007 and sparking up a cig behind the decks - everyone wants a piece of Harrison Patrick Smith.

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Fresh from producing Charli XCX’s Guess, Harrison Piper Smith has a bag of tricks to party like it’s 2006 If anyone has defined the summer of 2024, it’s Charli XCX. She released one of the albums of the year in Brat, but more importantly, seemed to capture the zeitgeist. The notion of a Brat summer was everywhere this year – even the social media accounts of US Presidential candidate Kamala Harris appeared to jump on the bandwagon by re-branding in the lime green style appearance of the cover art.

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The difference between Murphy & The Dare can best be represented by their names. Murphy sounds like a music nerd, and is, with a dorky sincerity beneath the contracted pretension; The Dare sounds like he's trying to convince the bouncer to let him, and reeks of the vibe. If you're going to ape the Archbishop of the New York dance-punk scene, commit to more than just a bit.

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Men are either afraid to be popstars, or they just aren't very good at it. They're allergic to artifice, focused on preserving unironic sex appeal, and striking the most "authentic" pose possible. The texture of the world changes when a female pop star scores a hit: Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso”, Beyonce‘s "Formation”, and Katy Perry's "California Gurls”.

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Teaming up with Charli xcx for 'BRAT' bonustrack 'Guess' (and its subsequent Billie Eilish remix) was an inspired move on the part of The Dare. Where certain criticisms of last year's introductory EP 'The Sex' accused the US artist of aiming for transgression and missing the mark, electroclash revival record 'What's Wrong With New York?' has all the too-cool-for-school irreverence and ecstasy of Charli's clubby project. It's another hedonistic pop bible for disillusioned ne'er-do-wells with a penchant for bumps and lines - albeit one less for coquettish IT-girls than metrosexual lotharios.

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Kate Moss famously said, "Why the fuck can't I have fun all the time?". It's a sentiment that The Dare certainly echoes – not just in his music, but in his artistic persona. The electroclash revivalist, known for his brash sound and horny, party-hard lyrics, has become something of an internet IT boy this summer. Tapped by Charli XCX to produce her now inescapable ‘brat’ single, 'Guess' , The Dare even took to the decks during Charli's PARTYGIRL Boiler Room show in Ibiza, resulting in outpourings of desire in the comment section for the man permanently sporting a slick Gucci suit and Celine sunglasses.

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