Outside of their memorable name and intriguing aesthetic, the debut single from London-based artists DanDlion & Havelock, “Skeleton Town” – a catchy Gorillaz-inspired track with Brockhampton standout Merlyn Wood – caught my ear, marking them as a group worth watching. Inspired by artists like Brockhampton and The Beastie Boys, the pair hit land on several tracks and provide plenty of excitement for the future.
The album sets sail with “Formula,” an apt name for a song that showcases their secret sonic formula. The song begins with strummed rock guitars, bouncy percussion, and aggressive rap vocals. They also recruit Merlyn Wood, a member of the now-defunct Brockhampton, for another exhilarating verse. The voyage continues with “Fortune Teller” with its distorted basslines and earworm chorus that sounds like an AM-era Arctic Monkeys track if Alex Turner could rap. The lyrics here are a bit surface-level and juvenile, but the Buoys still come through with a headbanging chorus and exhibit their incredible chemistry.
“Life Jacket” is a personal highlight, with its intense thematic focus and maritime terminology tying in their aesthetic and providing some of the best moments here. The tropical beats are paired expertly with dark and stormy lyricism on “Creepy Jimmy,” which brings in many of the record's themes into an alt-pop banger.
“Chandelier In The Sky” sounds like another song that could've fallen off the boat on the way to Cracker Island, but the duo regain their footing on “Holster” and “The Island Pt. 1” – two songs that fully display the duo’s versatility with their sombre R&B chords and melancholic vocals. However, they may have gone a bit overboard on “Drop In The Ocean,” a track that offers little in terms of a fully fleshed song idea. While still good, the whole record feels somewhat sterile – in their attempt to bring their off-the-wall ideas to the mainstream, they ended up sacrificing some of the grit and gnarliness that could make this album a real masterpiece.
It’s safe to say I fell for this record, hook, line, and sinker. This album is immersive, and if the explosive drum breaks and guitar riffs don’t capture your attention, the melodic choruses will. With this record, DanDlion and Havelock manage not to get shipwrecked in their sea of influences, and while they may not have reached any uncharted territory yet, they have come up with an impressive debut, and I urge you to take the bait.
