ALBUM REVIEW: Dream Wife – Social Lubrication (Lucky Number)
London-based trio Dream Wife are showing no signs of flagging in their quest for world domination as they reach album number three.
They’ve come a long way since their 2018 self-titled debut album. Their second, So When You Gonna… (reviewed here), smashed the UK Top 20; don’t bet against this one doing the same.
Vocalist Rakel Mjöll, guitarist Alice Go and bassist Bella Podpadec bring a punk attitude to a sound which embraces indie-rock and pop sensibilities, which they describe as “hyper-lusty rock and roll with a political punch”.
Social Lubrication was entirely self-written and self-produced, with the only outside influence being the heavyweight mixing duo of Alan Moulder (Nine Inch Nails, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Caesar Edmunds (Wet Leg, Beach House).
They hit the ground running, tackling some big subjects in their usual forthright manner. Merging the political with the playful, their music is like a tender kiss in places, and a punch in the mouth in others.
They set out their stall from the start with strident opener Kick In The Teeth, where Rakel’s voice sounds like Nina Persson of The Cardigans against a backdrop of beefy riffs and beats.
Orbit, inspired by post-lockdown London coming back to life, has a noughties dance-rock edge, while the title track has a touch of disco as it rails against men dishing out unsolicited advice.
Much of Social Lubrication is about relationships – good ones, bad ones, missed ones and even toxic ones. A lost love seems to inspire Mascara, while I Want You is a powerful expression of desire, as Rakel sings: “I want you to reach for me, in the middle of the night and feel my warm embrace.“
Curious is about expanding sexual horizons, with Rakel’s voice becoming even more playful as she coos: “You’ll all be middle-aged men one day/And I’ll be a middle-aged dream wife/If we’re lucky enough to not die/Before we peak in our lives.”
Conversely, Hot (Don’t Date A Musician) advises against getting it on with someone in a band, proffering a list of potentially better suitors. It even references Yeah Yeah Yeahs as a ‘fuck you’ to those who’ve compared Dream Wife to the New Yorkers.
My favourite song is lead single Leech, a furious ditty about male attitudes in the music industry which asks “Are you boys gonna let the girls play?/Or are they merely ornaments on display?” Dream Wife have seldom sounded angrier as they demand “just have some fucking empathy“.
The only thing which sounds slightly out of place is penultimate track Honestly, a slower, Bjork-like song about giving yourself completely to the right person. It shows Dream Wife aren’t one-trick ponies, and have a softer side to their sound.
Dream Wife are touring to promote Social Lubrication in June and October, as well as playing a handful of summer festival dates. Check the album out at Bandcamp HERE. It’s well worth your while. 8/10.
