What's Wrong with New York? is the debut studio album by American musician the Dare, released on September 6, 2024, through Polydor and Republic. Upon its release, the album received mostly positive reviews from critics.
| What's Wrong with New York? | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 6, 2024 | |||
| Recorded | 2022–2024 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 27:24 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Harrison Patrick Smith | |||
| The Dare chronology | ||||
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| Singles from What's Wrong with New York? | ||||
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Background
editWhat's Wrong with New York? marks the follow-up to The Dare's debut EP The Sex EP (2023), including two tracks from the EP, "Girls" and "Good Time".[1][3] Per the New York Times, the album embodies the "electroclash revival" movement and draws inspiration from early-2000s New York City dance-rock artists including LCD Soundsystem, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Fischerspooner.[4]
In addition to "Girls" and "Good Time", the album's release was preceded by two singles, "Perfume" and "You're Invited", each with an accompanying music video.[5][6]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 72/100[7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 8/10[8] |
| DIY |   [9] |
| KTLA | [10] |
| NME |  [11] |
| Paste | 6.4/10[1] |
| Pitchfork | 6.2/10[12] |
| The Skinny | [3] |
What's Wrong with New York? was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, the album received an aggregate score of 72 based on 9 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[7]
In a five-star review for the Skinny, Jamie Wilde drew comparisons to LCD Soundsystem, CSS, and Albert Hammond Jr. of the Strokes, concluding, "Sonic debauchery laced with moments of introspection, The Dare's debut is worth the hype."[3] Aimee Phillips of Clash called the album "a 'Party Rock Anthem' record for the indie sleaze renaissance," adding: "Tastefully rambunctious, What's Wrong With New York? is a sonic melting pot of millennial and Gen Z sounds. With retro drums and abrasive synth basses, it’s a performance-geared record filled with pulsating bass lines, perfect for making bad decisions in a sweaty basement."[8] In another five-star review for KTLA in Los Angeles, Russell Falcon wrote that the album's influences felt like a "warm embrace of the familiar" for millennials, writing that, "while previous generations of artists were influenced by The Beatles or Fleetwood Mac or Michael Jackson, there’s been no preparation for millennials on how to react when new music starts sounding like… LMFAO. And that’s intended to be a huge compliment."[13]
In a 4.5-star review for DIY, Otis Robinson compared the album to fellow 2024 release Brat by Charli XCX, for which The Dare produced the bonus track "Guess", writing: "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."[9]
In a more mixed review for Paste, Devon Chodzin described the album as "a mixed bag of bite-size party anthems and wearisome earworms that provoke even if you’re not looking for provocation," while complimenting the over-the-top style of tracks like "Perfume".[1] Jordan Bassett of NME gave the album three out of five stars, concluding, "you'd be better off just listening to LCD [Soundsystem]."[11]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Open Up" | 2:41 |
| 2. | "Good Time" | 2:13 |
| 3. | "Perfume" | 2:27 |
| 4. | "Girls" | 1:59 |
| 5. | "I Destroyed Disco" | 2:21 |
| 6. | "You're Invited" | 2:32 |
| 7. | "All Night" | 3:53 |
| 8. | "Elevation" | 3:56 |
| 9. | "Movement" | 2:31 |
| 10. | "You Can Never Go Home" | 2:47 |
| Total length: | 27:24 | |
Personnel
edit- Harrison Patrick Smith - art direction, design, writing, production, engineering
- Chris Greatti - co-production (track 1); vocal engineering (tracks 1, 3, 7); guitar (track 1); additional production (track 7)
- Melody English - background vocals (tracks 1, 10)
- Allyson Committa - background vocals (track 4)
- May Rio Sembera - background vocals (track 4)
- Sami Perez - vocal engineering (track 4)
- Dylan Brady - additional production (tracks 5, 9)
- Samuel Rosin - vocal engineering (tracks 5, 9)
- Emile Haynie - co-writer (track 6)
- Liam Hall - co-writer, additional production (track 6)
- Isaac Elger - co-writer (track 7)
- Romil Hemnani - co-writer, co-production, vocal engineering (track 8)
- Jonah Abraham - additional production (track 8)
- Sam Glick - vocal engineering (track 10)
- Lars Stalfors - mixing
- Ben Shirken - mixing (track 4)
- Ruairi O'Flaherty - mastering
- Bryce Segall - art direction, management
- Richard Kern - photography
- Sam Wachs - photography
- David Wolter - A&R
- Nick Sylvester - indispensable advice and guidance
References
edit- ^ a b c d Chodzin, Devon (September 4, 2024). "The Dare Commits to the Bit But Misses a Few Punchlines on What's Wrong With New York?". Paste. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ Kylene, Jazmin (September 6, 2024). "The Dare's 'What's Wrong With New York?' Is Messy Sex Pop At Its Finest". Ones to Watch. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Wilde, Jamie (September 2, 2024). "The Dare - What's Wrong With New York? album review: The Skinny". The Skinny. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ Kamer, Foster (August 29, 2024). "What's the Deal With the Dare?". The New York Times. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ Palmer, Elle (June 22, 2024). "The Dare teases his debut album with new single 'Perfume'". Far Out. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ Simpson, Phoenix (August 8, 2024). "The Dare Releases "You're Invited" Ahead of Debut Album and Tour". Hypebeast. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ a b "What's Wrong With New York? by The Dare". Metacritic. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Phillips, Aimee (September 5, 2024). "The Dare - What's Wrong With New York? | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Robinson, Otis (September 4, 2024). "The Dare - What's Wrong With New York?". DIY. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ Falcon, Russell (September 7, 2024). "The Dare - What's Wrong With New York? album review: KTLA". KTLA. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Bassett, Jordan (September 6, 2024). "The Dare – 'What's Wrong With New York?' review: an effective if uninventive throwback". NME. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ Press-Reynolds, Kieran (September 9, 2024). "The Dare: What's Wrong with New York? Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
- ^ Falcon, Russell (September 7, 2024). "REVIEW: The Dare's debut sounds like the future by going to the past". KTLA.