Dubstar
Two
Northern Writes
Listen Below
It was the comeback of 2018 that no one expected: Dubstar.
The story, up to that point, went a little something like this: the British troika—Sarah Blackwood (vocalist), Steve Hillier (keyboardist-programmer), and Chris Wilkie (guitarist-programmer)—launched to acclaim with Disgraceful (1995) via the Food/EMI labels. Their subsequent rapid ascent, marked by a fevered dervish of unending press and tour dates, was only matched by the group’s uncanny fracturing.
Just prior to the release of Make It Better (2000), Dubstar’s third studio album, Hillier departed the fold, leaving his two bandmates to stump for the project alone. His defection struck a substantial blow to Blackwood and Wilkie’s already (by then) fatigued morale; Make It Better receded from the charts and what followed over the next eighteen years were only a handful of live reunions that yielded no new music.
Imagine then the shock-surprise of One (2018), a fourth Dubstar long player (sans Hillier) self-sanctioned by the pair’s own imprint Northern Writes. Lined with lush tunes that continued on their recognized arty style, while also moving it forward, it was as if Dubstar never left.
Bolstered by One’s equally warm reception from critics and loyalists, Dubstar began drafting its successor Two almost immediately. But multiple global crises—notably the COVID-19 pandemic—struck all at once in 2020. Separated from one another, the duo forged ahead with the writing and construction of their fifth record; the subsequent affair surpasses the quality of its foregoing sister album.
Two also finds Dubstar reuniting with friend and renowned tunesmith Stephen Hague. The stateside born Hague—avowed primarily for cutting sides on non-American artists such as a-ha, Pet Shop Boys, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Melanie C and others—helmed Disgraceful and Dubstar’s sophomore follow-up Goodbye (1997). Concerns about whether or not their collaborative chemistry could still spark are unfounded. Two captures Dubstar and Hague in glorious synchronicity—Wilkie partners with him in a co-production capacity here.
Excusing their stunningly sparse cover of the 1983 R.E.M. gem “Perfect Circle,” the remaining nine entries jump from the imagination of Dubstar; Hague does co-pen on “I Can See You Outside” and “Hygiene Strip,” two of the album’s five singles. And it is “I Can See You Outside” that signposts a novel freshness with a known sound—the selection features alongside “Token” and “Tectonic Plates” as one of the three cuts to introduce Two.
Since their inception, electro and synth-pop have been principal factors in the compositional makeup of Dubstar’s aesthetic, but never have they come across so ebulliently as they do on this opening triptych. However, that doesn’t mean other familiar aspects of Dubstar’s music are left out nor that different avenues go unexplored. In regard to the former element, they offer up crisp, melodic rock pieces like “Blood” and “Social Proof.” With the latter point, Dubstar dips their hands into a bit of lite soul with “Tears,” with absolutely gorgeous results. Complementing these well-rounded alternative pop tracks are the lyrics they’re linked to.
Undoubtedly influenced by the roiling socio-political tides of today, Dubstar’s songs capture a wealth of emotions ranging from fear, to longing, to hope—Two is an album for our troubled age. “We’ve always wanted to raise the thing that everyone’s thinking, but no one’s saying,” Wilkie said of Dubstar’s writing approach when I interviewed the duo two years ago. This holds true for their current offering too.
While the soundscapes and scripts of Two are dually impressive, what would either facet of this LP be without Blackwood to survey them? The Halifax, West Yorkshire born stylist has come very far from her sharp-eyed ingenue days of “Stars” and “Not So Manic Now,” having evolved into a mature singer with a keen sense of interpretive acuity in her performances. Although it’s difficult to pull specific highlights from this superlative collection, “Lighthouse” and “Kissing to Be Unkind” are fantastic demonstrations of Blackwood’s power in 2022.
Two is a lean, masterful stroke of modern pop that stands on its own, but doesn’t disavow its link with what came before with Dubstar’s anterior efforts. Blackwood and Wilkie are definitely one of the best kept secrets in music and it’s never too late to get in on it if you haven’t already—what are you waiting for then?
Notable Tracks: “Kissing to Be Unkind” | “Social Proof” | “Tears” | “Token”
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