GutterPutter

To kick things off, the Weeknd needs virtually no explanation. The decisive success of After Hours in 2020 & a streak of chart-domineering hits like ‘Blinding Lights’ sees Abel Makkonen Tesfaye on the rise to being one of the definitive big names in the mainstream scene. Among the acclaim found in his recent releases is that of his reinvention of the retro-styled new wave for the R&B which, when executed perfectly, reveals a whole depth for synth pop to take control of. Although contemporaries like Billie Eilish would often seek to try & derive from their breakthrough musicality with a twist of maturation like the slow-tempo Happier Than Ever last year, Dawn FM sees the Weeknd stick to his formula. In grappling with past regrets & his impending mortality in the future, it’s not hard to see how this record would prove itself to bear a lot of fruit.

The problem is that while it does examine the past & the end of life with bittersweet lens, it feels more “passable” than it does revolutionary as per say. While you have interludes like ‘A Tale By Quincy’ which is heartfelt with its exploration of mental illness & stunted growth, you have ‘Phantom Regret By Jim’ which doesn’t pan out all that well. I would even consider it to be pretentious (which is saying something about me) with its attempt to come off as being philosophical regarding the priorities of life & with the faux-poetry in the phrasing, it feels dissonant with the rest of the album. ‘Every Angel Is Terrifying’ has a nice satirical approach around the afterlife once you give it time. However, the execution can be an acquired taste as I find it to be over-the-top to a fault with its bombastic delivery & as it progresses on through, it can come off as being obnoxious although given its topic matter, maybe that’s the point. Works better than it should’ve if so.

Throw in the fact that the lyrical theme touches on romance as per expected in most R&B records & suddenly, there just doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of wiggle room for the idea of regret to be presented in a judicious fashion. It’s easier to say that you need to let go of one big mistake from a while ago than to try to practice it. Take for example ‘I Heard You’re Married’ that deals with the jealousy over a past flame moving on, ‘Out of Time’ which asks for a second chance even if it’s past its due date, or the self-explanatory ‘How Do I Make You Love Me?’ They all take the same tropes around love/breakup songs without doing much altering aside from a clear punch from the 80s. At least there’s a degree of self-reflection around wherever the voice is compatible with his love interest in ‘Less Than Zero’.

The complaints don’t mean to suggest that the whole album is bad as the score should’ve been much lower. As mentioned in the beginning, the production shows its sheen to the point where it feels like a remarkable call-back to the synth pop wave of the 1980s & the singing is without a doubt impressive conventionally speaking. ‘Take My Breath’ is catchy & accentuates both the vocal capability of the Weeknd & the futuristic progression of the instruments very well; it’s unsurprising to see it as a worthy single to follow up on ‘Blinding Lights’. ‘Here We Go… Again’ has some dodgy lyrics as Neve Campbell is literally mentioned for sexual pleasure, but a verse by Tyler, the Creator paints a picture of a failed relationship with ease as he alludes to the legal bindings of marriage. ‘Best Friends’ has an amazing musical texture with its convergence of synths & a drum pattern that is hard-hitting once it kicks in. Lastly, ‘Gasoline’ could’ve been made a near-perfect introduction in establishing the themes of the album with anxiety, constant worries around time, and the awareness of being a step closer to dying on top of some nice electronic effects to make for some chipmunk backup vocals.

As an aside, the spoken word segments by Jim Carey (yes, he’s featured in this album!) show off his charisma well & acts as a nice piece in the whole album even if it looks at another kind of regret that I find to be more interesting than the Weeknd’s messy love life. Even when looped back to the problem I have with ‘Phantom Regret By Jim’, you could sense that he’s genuine about his belief that “Heaven’s for those who let go of regret” & the calm way that he delivers his segment makes you wish that there’s a bit more tips around how to let go of those regrets with him around.

While it’s been lauded as being the first great record of 2022 already, Dawn FM is ultimately not the one for me. The productions & the impassioned singing is top-notch, but what’s found underneath it could be lacklustre if you wanted a fresher or impersonal approach towards looking back or even in a topic as prevalent as romantic relationships. Don’t come into the record expecting profound exploration into the psyche of love or past mistakes, go into it if you love the sounds of the 80s. That’s one point that the Weeknd hit a bullseye on for certain. For a close inner circle, take a nice stroll through some of the spoken word segments – especially with ‘A Tale By Quincy’.