The Dare is a guy wearing a tie, white shirt, black suit, and black-rimmed sunglasses, dressed like the pre-psychedelic Beatles, The Jam, Robert Palmer, or even Devo. The suit-and-tie look is making a sporadic comeback on the rock scene, and here comes The Dare, straight out of the United Kingdom. Uh… no, appearances can be deceiving. Harrison Patrick Smith is a New Yorker, born in LA. He is American, his accent is American, and his dance-punk references are American too. If this were 2010, he would have signed with DFA with James Murphy’s blessing.
The 29-year-old has the frosty style of rockers like Happy Mondays, Primal Scream, or Jesus & Mary Chain. Charismatic, he puts on a really good rock show, with the passion and oblique postures of skilled frontmen. No, it’s not really taken seriously: we smile, we try to guess the references, we love the attitude, we get into the rock beat. We’re having a blast in front of the stage at La Vallée!
And yet, there is no band.
The young guy in a tie dances around in a soliloquy, with only two vintage keyboards being played on rare occasions. Pre-recorded, heavily fuzzed guitars blend into electronic, electro-pop, krautrock, and synth-punk motifs. The further we go, the more the electronic dimension dominates this nevertheless rock aesthetic in the digital age.
We even wonder if the wall of Marshall amps stacked behind the frontman is really being used or if it’s just a piece of scenery.
Whatever the answer, we are thoroughly entertained by this formula, which initially seemed very retro but, as the riffs, verses, and screams unfold, has proven to be more unique. If you’re intrigued, listen to What’s Wrong With New York, an album released last year.
Photo by Benoit Rousseau
