{"id":9297,"date":"2023-06-09T15:49:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-09T14:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=9297"},"modified":"2023-06-12T15:56:25","modified_gmt":"2023-06-12T14:56:25","slug":"dream-wife-go-from-strength-to-strength-on-third-album-social-lubrication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipamusic.co.uk\/?p=9297","title":{"rendered":"Dream Wife go from strength to strength on third album Social Lubrication"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ALBUM REVIEW: Dream Wife – Social Lubrication (Lucky Number)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

London-based trio Dream Wife are showing no signs of flagging in their quest for world domination as they reach album number three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They’ve come a long way since their 2018 self-titled debut album. Their second, So When You Gonna\u2026<\/em> (reviewed here<\/a><\/strong>), smashed the UK Top 20; don’t bet against this one doing the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vocalist Rakel Mj\u00f6ll, 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”<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Social Lubrication<\/em> 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). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They set out their stall from the start with strident opener Kick In The Teeth<\/em>, where Rakel’s voice sounds like Nina Persson of The Cardigans against a backdrop of beefy riffs and beats.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Orbit<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of Social Lubrication<\/em> is about relationships – good ones, bad ones, missed ones and even toxic ones. A lost love seems to inspire Mascara<\/em>, while I Want You<\/em> 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.<\/em>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curious <\/em>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\u2019re lucky enough to not die\/Before we peak in our lives<\/em>.”<\/p>\n\n\n

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Conversely, Hot (Don\u2019t Date A Musician)<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My favourite song is lead single Leech<\/em>, 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?”<\/em> Dream Wife have seldom sounded angrier as they demand “just have some fucking empathy<\/em>“.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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