After a two-year gap without music, Alternative indie pop singer Isaac Dunbar had released his 5th EP Beep Beep Repeat on April 26th. He self-describes this EP as an “ode to the city and how it changed my life”.
The EP is opened with the theatrical track ‘Apartment A’, the story of a place that is the backdrop for many exciting plans, with lyrics such as “Something about this place is high vibration, like a new religion.” Seemingly siren-like sounds playing in the background and a bridge of nonsensical phrases add to the feeling of chaotic excitement. The next track, ‘I love to dance’, continues this theme of the highs of life. Accompanied by a steady beat that is much slower now, repeating the lyrics “I love to dance”, fitting with the theme of the last remainders of the energy of the night even after everyone has gone home.
‘Backseat Girl’ dives into the theme of never being someone’s first choice. Dunbar is begging someone for their love over a catchy beat, with repetitive lyrics like “Bang down the door down man, let me in!”, increasing desperation in the song. With the more stripped-down production here, mostly guitar and drums, Dunbar’s vocals come across so strongly and show his range very well.
‘American High’ takes us back to the party scenes, the morning after a typical party like one would envision from American movies. Dunbar sings: “A whole lot of glitter to shake off, a stranger to kick out of my bed”. The emotion in his voice takes you right along this story, with an incredibly catchy chorus feeling like you are right in between it all.
‘Photoshoot Tonight’ is a song of contrasts. At first glance, an upbeat song about a photoshoot with exciting electric sounds, but a closer listen reveals this photoshoot is more of a facade to temporarily feel good about oneself. The music switches back and forth, desperate cries over just some strings, back to almost screaming over beats, like he does not want to truly admit this vulnerability.
The EP concludes with the much more fast-paced ‘C.R.A.Z.Y’, taking us along on yet another love story that cannot end well. Female background vocals commenting on the main lines is a clever way to take us along in the contrasts of this story. The instruments build up during the song, with the increasingly fast outro ending in a scream feeling so fitting for the ride of themes and stories that this EP takes the listener on.
A big theme displayed very successfully in this EP is exaggerated American culture, making the listener nostalgic for parties, clubs, and apartments they have never even been to. Dunbar describes some heights of life, like parties in New York, dancing through the night, and crazy romances, and hides the deeper layers in between many catchy beats. Many of these parties are fronts for insecurities and love that feels exciting but cannot be good. Yet Dunbar romanticizes every scene and does the excitement of it all justice through exciting production and strong vocals.
More than his earlier EPs, Beep Beep Repeat feels like a very cohesive work, showing both Dunbar’s existing strengths for theatrics and his ever-evolving potential for new sounds. Especially in ‘American High’ and ‘Backseat Girl’, the tone down of the production shows just how much emotion he can convey with his vocals, while other songs show how influences from various genres can both emphasize stories and just make very catchy unique songs.
Dunbar has said Beep Beep Repeat is his last EP before his debut album, so with his ever-increasing skill once again made apparent on this EP, we can only look forward to hearing more about this album.
Written by: Marieke Weeda
Edited by: Ilse Muis
