The second single from It’s Just Us by Dome Dwellers is wonderfully silly and serious at the same time. With a melody on a bungee cord whipping across the octaves, they tackle trying to change toxic behaviors (and often failing).
With pitch-shifting guitars, bright synth flourishes, and technical lead guitar lines, the sunny vocal melody stays bravely untethered by the constantly shifting harmony. The grooving drums and bass smartly tie these chaotic elements together, mirroring the growing anxiety from the lyrics.
That fear of fallout from failure worms its way into every musical element, from harmony and rhythm to instrumentation. Moving from danceable beats to descending overdriven parallel fifths to vibraphone playing on the backbeat, “When I Cave” is a tour de force of technique and storytelling.
Fun lyrics like “sowing the seed of change in me/ knowing the cost of maturity” double as whimsical and incredibly insightful. We vicariously experience the shifting efforts and off-balance footing from their attempts to change their toxic behaviors. It’s psychedelic and metaphysical while maintaining an infinitely fun musical exploration of this worthwhile endeavor.
Stream “When I Cave” below.
Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.
