A surefire success encapsulated in dream-pop soundscapes, swirling arrangements, and minimalistic percussive beats. Of course, we’re talking about the Ontario-hailing Dizzy.
With two albums already to their name – 2018’s seminal Baby Teeth, and 2020’s The Sun And Her Scorch – the quartet have firmly established themselves as one of Canada’s most impressive alternative outfits. After a brief musical break, they’re back and with their self-titled third record in tow, Dizzy are sure-fire head spinners. The album details the intricacies of life as Dizzy sweep through heartache (“Birthmark”), friendships (“Close”) and childhood reflections (“Barking Dog”).
Opening with chilling sensitivity, “Birthmark” laments on heartbreak whilst reflecting on tender moments (“Do you remember last December?”). Eager to try again once mature (“Could try again when we are older”) and the pain had faded, lead singer Katie Munshaw croons amongst swirling melodies, delicate electronic beats as she navigates the fall-out of a broken relationship. Uplifting despite the overwhelming hurt, “Birthmark” offers the perfect introduction to this next chapter of Dizzy – honesty, reflection, and growth.
Continuing in the same vein, the bittersweet notions of “Close” deliver a narrative of a Thanksgiving-gone-wrong in the way of a broken-down van, where the day found itself revived in a mechanics waiting room and ultimately the bottom of a whiskey bottle. Tender vocals delve into the comfort Katie’s bandmates bring her, in an homage to her chosen family and friendship.
Finding its home in tongue-in-cheek lyricism, “Open Up Wide” pokes at the music industry (“Open up wide, gotta pay to rent / To rot away in my mom's basement”) through soft vocalisations and looping guitars that make for a fuzzy, high-energy soundscape. In contrast, “Knock The Wind” opts for a folksier sound with acoustic guitar lines and delicate ruminations that continue through into “Stupid 4 U” and “My Girl” before diving into pop-rich melodies.
“Barking Dog” is a sombre reflection on childhood pain and working to move past it in your 20s. Taking its seat as one of the narratively heavier cuts on the record, the number sits in the same vein as softer Wolf Alice cuts (think “Last Man On Earth”). Talking of “Barking Dog” Katie noted, “This song is mostly about how we’re all just products of our youth; doomed in various ways none of us asked for”. Haunting vocals backed by a percussive crescendo culminate and make way for choral annunciations and a complete tonal switch that match the sorrow and mourning drenched throughout.
Album closer “Are You Sick Of Me Yet” is a maelstrom of emotions, journeying through a whirlwind of embarrassment, guilt, love, and acceptance. The number succinctly describes the album as a whole and brings the emotive pit-stop tour of Dizzy to a dazzling end.
