Dent May is a small town boy turned LA City Dweller with modern lyrics trapped in 70s pop/psychedelic melodies. May creates a unique blend of sounds and styles in his new album Across the Multiverse. But does this contrast of retro sound and modern lyrics help May stand
out or does it just turn him into every other retro indie artist?
The album art of Across the Multiverse (Miami hotline colors, music videos that look like they’re from the 80s, and overall A E S T H E T I C) is cliche and downright overdone at this point thanks to Macintosh Plus; however, this style fits with the theme of May’s album being what happens when you cross eras (70s sound, 80s look, modern lyrics), making the album more immersive and an overall experience rather than a collection of songs. Tracks like “Hello Cruel World,” “Picture On a Screen,” and “Dream 4 Me” are fantastic in instrumentals and structure. It’s a shame that no one in the recording studio told Dent that he’s incapable of hitting low notes; almost all the tracks on this album became annoying and in some cases (like picture on a screen) unlistenable, which unfortunately tarnishes the album from multiple listens and
becoming a notable album of 2017.
Across the Multiverse is a unique concept album. Dent sticks to a concise, each song
feels like it’s meant to be there and it’s adding to a narrative, not just a song that was added just because. Unfortunately, Dent’s groggy low vocals drops the great sounding package he was trying to create in the first place. If you’re looking for some extra songs to add to your “chill vibes” playlist, “Dream 4 Me” and “A Little Bit Goes A Long Way” are worthy additions though the rest of this album could be skipped.
Recommended If You Like: Frankie Rose. Mr. Twin Sister
Recommended Tracks: 4 (Dream 4 Me), 8 (A Little Bit Goes A Long Way)
Do Not Play: None
Written by Karsan Turner on 10/11/2017