EARMILK EARMILK
  • NEW MUSIC
    • DANCE
    • ELECTRONIC
    • EXPERIMENTAL
    • HIP-HOP
    • INDIE
    • POP
    • ROCK
  • INDUSTRY NEWS
    • DOCUMENTARIES
    • EVENTS
    • FASHION
    • LIFESTYLE
    • MUSIC GEAR
    • MUSIC INDUSTRY
    • TECHNOLOGY
  • OPINION
  • ALBUM REVIEWS
  • GEAR REVIEWS
  • INTERVIEWS
  • FEATURES
    • FESTIVALS
    • EXCLUSIVES
    • LISTS
    • CONTESTS
    • Photo Journals
  • SERIES
    • Artist to Watch
    • Under The Crust
    • Flashback Friday
    • Suicide Sundaes
    • Daily 2%
    • The Club
    • Weekend Selector
    • Mashup Mondays
    • Artist Remixed
    • Wobble Wednesday
    • Night Rumours
    • Indie Sabbath
    • Straight No Chase
    • Straight From the Teet
  • Jobs
  • About EARMILK
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Music
EARMILK EARMILK
EARMILK EARMILK
  • NEW MUSIC
    • DANCE
    • ELECTRONIC
    • EXPERIMENTAL
    • HIP-HOP
    • INDIE
    • POP
    • ROCK
  • INDUSTRY NEWS
    • DOCUMENTARIES
    • EVENTS
    • FASHION
    • LIFESTYLE
    • MUSIC GEAR
    • MUSIC INDUSTRY
    • TECHNOLOGY
  • OPINION
  • ALBUM REVIEWS
  • GEAR REVIEWS
  • INTERVIEWS
  • FEATURES
    • FESTIVALS
    • EXCLUSIVES
    • LISTS
    • CONTESTS
    • Photo Journals
  • SERIES
    • Artist to Watch
    • Under The Crust
    • Flashback Friday
    • Suicide Sundaes
    • Daily 2%
    • The Club
    • Weekend Selector
    • Mashup Mondays
    • Artist Remixed
    • Wobble Wednesday
    • Night Rumours
    • Indie Sabbath
    • Straight No Chase
    • Straight From the Teet
  • Album Reviews
  • Alt-Pop
  • Alternative
  • Alternative R&B
  • Disco
  • Jazz
  • Pop
  • R&B

ALASKALASKA – The Dots

  • May 9, 2019
  • Evan Crandell
Detail's of EARMILK ALASKALASKA – The Dots
Artist Name:
ALASKALASKA
Album Name:
The Dots
Release Type:
Album
Release Date:
May 3, 2019
Record Label:
Marathon Artists
Label Location:
London
Review Author:
Evan Crandell
Review Date:
May 9, 2019
EM Review Rating:
8.5
Total
0
Shares
0
0

A simple reading of the news or glance at social media can be an overwhelming experience these days. We may be more connected than ever, but a quick look into our chaotic cultural climate can make us question our place in this unruly world. In uneasy times like these, art can provide refuge when it speaks truth to injustice and provides escapist entertainment. The band ALASKALASKA has offered a strong showing on both fronts with their debut album The Dots, out on Marathon Artists. The South London group has delivered an astounding batch of songs with genre-defying instrumentals and hard-hitting, deeply personal lyrics that highlight various elements of identity, from social media to the menstrual cycle. For those of us who crave engaging, honest music, The Dots is a fitting soundtrack for our times.

After the opening title track that establishes the group’s impressively original sound comes the mesmerizing song “Bees.” It’s the most overtly political entry on the album and is made more so with a striking music video. Over a descending bass line from Fraser Rieley, vocalist Lucinda Duarte-Holman delivers poignant lyrics commenting on the pitfalls of our current consumer culture. At one moment, she writes, “Who’s in charge here? Anybody’s guess now / Where’s the people and why are they all pointing at each other, where did they all learn to blame?” All the while the video features a compilation of outrageous and unsettling viral videos and other clips showcasing numerous societal warts. The barrage of shots is masterfully interspersed with footage of bees, providing an unrelenting reminder of the theme of consumers as drones, punctuated by the line in the hook, “It’s a bees’ hive, what’s to understand?”

While “Bees” confronts identity politics on a global scale, Duarte-Holman takes things in a much more personal direction with one of the album’s standout tracks “Moon.” In it, she broaches her struggle to find identity within the framework of the menstrual cycle. She writes, “With all the space in space, how I feel so misplaced / it’s over, I’m overcome, am I someone?” In addition to the powerfully personal lyrics, “Moon” stands out as a showcase of ALASKALASKA’s unique sound. Drummer Gethin Jones features heavily throughout, providing an unstoppable groove while saxophonist Fraser Smith adds one of the song’s most memorable elements with his angular horn lines.

Throughout the duration of The Dots, ALASKALASKA ventures into diverse stylistic territory in a way that makes the music fascinatingly difficult to categorize. Amid all the group’s wandering styles on the LP is one of the most succinctly structured songs of the bunch, “Tough Love.” It might be as close as the group gets to pop, as it borrows an aesthetic from 90s alternative music, particularly in the guitar-driven choruses from Calum Duncan. The track maintains the group’s lyrical bite, though, as Duarte-Holman sings about the struggle to be vulnerable and creative in a society that emphasizes tough love. She writes, “Hard to communicate my emotions / hard to communicate anything new / hard to communicate but I won’t give up / well, good luck if you’ve had enough of tough love.” The music world is full of songs about being true to oneself and yet “Tough Love” still stands out. The lyrics in the hook emphasize the point saliently with a call to action: “Say what you want / sing along to our song / bring everyone / get on up, get on down.”

Most of the songs on The Dots feature a fiery energy that matches the urgency of the group’s social commentary, but there are a few moments where they slow things down. The first comes on the dreamy track “Arrows,” which features surprisingly processed vocals and an unhurried three feel. A little later comes the sensual, bluesy track “Sweat” where Duarte-Holman opens with gentle vocal delivery as she sings the line, “I like you best when your body rests between my legs.” The words set the tone of the remainder of the track that maintains its restrained, quiet approach to a love song.

Continuing the theme of relationships is the track “Monster,” which offers another example of the band speaking unapologetic truths in the face of adversity. Although Duarte-Holman’s lyrics read like a letter to troubled lover, they could almost be interpreted as being directed toward the destructive expectations of our warped society. Both readings are equally impactful in the chorus when she sings, “I don’t wanna be somebody else / or this monster you have made me out to be / but I don’t really feel like bein’ myself when you keep on draining all the best from me.” Regardless of the interpretation, songs like “Monster” showcase ALASKALASKA’s provocative writing that cuts right to the core of our collective soul.

The set closes with the ambient, atmospheric tune “Skin,” in which Duarte-Holman debriefs with the audience after the emotional outpouring on the LP. Over dark, oscillating synth notes, she writes, “Will you still love me, will you think of me like you did before? Are you in? / now you’ve been through my skin.” The combination of ALASKALASKA’s spot-on social commentary on The Dots with their absorbing musical sensibilities and stellar musicianship make the album an unquestioned triumph. For anyone who gives a deep dive into this astounding project, it’s easy to answer Duarte-Holman’s question on “Skin” with a resounding, ‘yes, we’re in.’

Buy or stream The Dots here.

Connect with ALASKALASKA: Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | Spotify

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • ALASKALASKA
  • Marathon Artists
Evan Crandell

You May Also Like
View Article
  • Alternative R&B
  • Funk
  • Mainstage
  • Neo-Soul
  • New Music

OneoftheMollys keeps it fun and flirty on new single "Rolling the Dice"

  • July 5, 2025
Jetty Bones 2025
View Article
  • Alt-Pop
  • Alternative
  • Alternative Rock
  • Indie
  • Indie Pop
  • Indie Rock
  • New Music
  • Reviews
  • Rock
  • Singer/songwriter

Jetty Bones releases rousing new song 'Housing Crisis'

  • July 4, 2025
View Article
  • Music Videos
  • Pop

Dutch/Surinamese singer-songwriter néomí shares tender offering "Trigger"

  • July 4, 2025
Bailey Grey
View Article
  • Indie
  • Mainstage
  • Pop

Bailey Grey’s “Love It All” dares you to feel everything [Album]

  • July 4, 2025
Fox Stevenson
View Article
  • Electronic
  • Indie
  • Mainstage
  • Pop

Fox Stevenson shares an explosive new album "Sunk Cost Fallacy"

  • July 4, 2025
LunchMoney Lewis
View Article
  • Indie
  • Mainstage
  • Pop

LunchMoney Lewis drops a love anthem for the everyday “Buttercup” [Music Video]

  • July 4, 2025
View Article
  • Alternative
  • Indie

Mar Lamar makes a confident solo debut with “Someone to Blame”

  • July 4, 2025
itsHOLY
View Article
  • Feature
  • Indie
  • Mainstage
  • New Music
  • R&B
  • Rap

itsHOLY sets the stage ablaze in triumphant new visual “Showstoppa”

  • July 4, 2025
Popular Music
  • OneoftheMollys keeps it fun and flirty on new single "Rolling the Dice"
    • July 5, 2025
  • Jetty Bones 2025
    Jetty Bones releases rousing new song 'Housing Crisis'
    • July 4, 2025
  • Dutch/Surinamese singer-songwriter néomí shares tender offering "Trigger"
    • July 4, 2025
  • Bailey Grey
    Bailey Grey’s “Love It All” dares you to feel everything [Album]
    • July 4, 2025
  • Fox Stevenson
    Fox Stevenson shares an explosive new album "Sunk Cost Fallacy"
    • July 4, 2025
Recent Scoops
  • Matt Oakley is redefining country music with heart, soul and modernity
    • May 5, 2025
  • Texas’ Blacktop Mojo does rock music the way it should be done
    • April 29, 2025
  • Tha Rapper Haiti blends authentic style with musical passion
    • April 28, 2025
  • Glorybots redefines rock with latest album 'mad.end'
    • April 10, 2025
Community Voices
  • From Machismo To Mujeres: Women As The Face Of Reggaeton
    • July 14, 2022
  • Tyler the creator
    4 things I learned on the 'Call Me If You Get Lost' tour
    • March 31, 2022
  • 4 things every artist needs to think about in 2022
    • January 27, 2022
  • The TikTok Takeover of Hip-Hop
    • January 11, 2022

EARMILK EARMILK
  • Jobs
  • About EARMILK
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Music
All Milk. No Duds.

Input your search keywords and press Enter.