Something’s happening to Gus Dapperton.
Something that’s led to prolific creativity: the indie-pop pastel prince has been on a roll for the last two years, with two critically-acclaimed EPs, a couple of viral music videos, an upcoming set at this summer’s Firefly Music Festival, and a still-rapidly-growing fanbase. But his recent singles have marked a radical change in his sound. His music still retains its shimmering, surreal sensibility, but turns down the infectious levity he’s become known for. “Fill Me Up Anthem,” his latest, slows Gus Dapperton down and stretches him to his sonic and emotional limits, resulting in a song lush and vibrant in its texture—and more full of pain than anything he’s released before.
“Fill Me Up Anthem” is fascinating in how it makes love—the riveting, tender love spelled out in the lyrics—into something grueling. “[M]y hoe brings home the business / She writes with knives / and breaks the skin,” Dapperton warbles on the hook, his layered vocals working double duty over a sumptuous synth-pop composition. It’s about how it feels to want someone: elation fused with anxiety, every sensation dialed up to 10. The outro’s plea, “Fill me up,” ends up sounding as heartfelt as it does morbid.
With his debut album on the way in April, it’s too early to tell whether “Fill Me Up Anthem” indicates a new Gus Dapperton, or he’s just briefly experimenting. But he’s pushing himself further than he ever has before, giving listeners a glimpse of real range and depth in his music, and the payoff is explosive.
Matthew Apadulais a writer and music critic from New York. His work has previously appeared on GIGsoup Music and in Drunk in a Midnight Choir. Find him on Twitter @imdoingmybest.
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