Last year, Dubstar offered up “Hygiene Strip,” a parcel of lush electro-pop that operated as the first formal taste of Two, the British act’s long awaited fifth studio set that has reunited them with producer Stephen Hague. Upon the song’s arrival, I described it as “taking sobering stock of our current moment: a world in the throes of a global pandemic and wracked by social unrest.”
Unfortunately, while things have slowly begun to stabilize, there is still a long road toward recovery ahead in every quarter. Thank goodness for music then! While work continues on Two—now likely set for issuance at the end of 2021 or early 2022—Chris Wilkie and Sarah Blackwood were kind enough to gift listeners with another sample of what to expect with “Tectonic Plates.”
Like “Hygiene Strip” before it, the new single operates from a story song position (albeit this time with a clever geological metaphor) and utilizes similarly refined electronics for its sound. However, on the musical tip, “Tectonic Plates” parts from its forebearer with a compositional structure that feels brighter and more rhythmic. Noticeably, Wilkie’s guitar passage from 1:40 to the 1:57 mark is remarkably funky which, in turn, gives Blackwood something to play with vocally.
It is true that fans are chomping at the bit for this forthcoming album to materialize from Dubstar, but if “Hygiene Strip” and “Tectonic Plates” are anything to go by, good things definitely come to those who wait.
Note: As an Amazon affiliate partner, Albumism may earn commissions from purchases of vinyl records, CDs and digital music featured on our site.
WATCH:
