Dady’s “All That” is a perfect pop lullaby embracing a deeper message over a synthetic techno tune.
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There’s a heaviness that can come with techno-pop. It’s found in dramatic baselines and the attempt to fuel the track with competing standout parts. Dady, a sugar pop duo made of Rachel Dady and Jesse O’Connor, are a breathy exception, creating comparable techno-pop tracks with an air of sweetness and breath of cohesive calm.
When you curve me, I keep calling
I’ve got issues but they’re nothing
When you saw me, yea you saw me
Yeah it happens, yeah it happens
And I hope that, that I love you
That I can’t forget you
And I want you, if you want me
Are you happy, ‘cause you had me?
Listen: “All That” – Dady
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/410234772?secret_token=s-DUBvZ” params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]Atwood is proud to premiere “All That,” the Dady’s sophomore single. “All That” is a heartbroken, addicted pop lullaby, energetic in sound yet emotionally deflating in lyrical content. With words of complete relationship despair, Dady shows a vulnerability which proves their content is more than just a sweet, contagious sound.
“But you don’t know how to save me and I hold you cause you made me,” are maybe the most moving lyrics on the track, implying the sense of lost identity the narrator feels. The disconnect between self and significant other are seen in lyrics throughout the track, including in the catchy hook’s line “You were all I ever wanted, you were all I ever had.”
It was stupid how we started
It’s too late, and I’m starving
Never thought that it could happen
You’re the captain, made it happen
Tell me, could you take it?
On your mattress, I can fake it.
But you don’t know, how to save me
And I hold you ‘cause you made me
“All That” is a relatable, lyrical expression of lost love and a nagging inability to move on. It falls in the same category as thousands or unrequited love songs but holds a sound that makes it sound painful, yet joyous. It’s not a celebration, but it’s filled with synthetic thrills, ones that allow the subject matter to be muted enough to sound enjoyable.
Production-wise, the track is superb with synthetic instrumentation that preserves the content in a melancholy light. There are moments of pure energy, see the first chorus acceleration which is reminiscent of Terror Jr.’s isolated pop style. But as the track continues, the production simplifies in a dreary, connected light and shines an added sense of discomfort on the emotionally disastrous end of a relationship in mourning.
The most soothing piece of the track, however, may lie in Rachel Dady’s crystal clear vocals. Though matching the synthetic tone of the track’s production, Dady’s vocal tone sounds pop-level raw in moments of intense vulnerability. Her emotion shines strongest on the top of each verse and during the emotional bridge.
Don’t listen to me
Turn the lights out for me
When I left a note on your white Mercedes
You’re the one on “E’”
You’re the one on “E”
When you wake up empty
Will you think of me?
In all, the track is a standout for its ability to be a calming force of ultra sugary pop. For a genre partially made from facades, Dady has created something real that embraces the pop sense of superficial sound.
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? © Chad Griffith
