Gus Dapperton's "Fill Me Up Anthem" Is a Visceral R&B Offering
To this day, we are still quite unsure of exactly what to make of Gus Dapperton. The New York - based provocateur blurs the lines between bedroom pop, '60s soft-rock, R&B, '70s psych, and '80s new wave, and still somehow comes out the other end to present a wholly cohesive sonic offering. Dapperton's profound talent for bending not only genres but the rules of music is particularly infectious in a track like "Fill Me Up Anthem."
"Fill Me Up Anthem," the latest single from Dapperton, follows "My Favorite Fish" and is a testament to the New York artist's claim as a musical visionary. Opening on a heavenly layered choir of Dapperton's vocals, the world of "Fill Me Up Anthem" unfurls in serene fashion as a seemingly sweet love song. However, it does not take long for Dapperton to reveal his new track's dark underbelly.
The tranquil R&B musings of Dapperton are taken over by a primal other self, lashing out the lines, "I only hope he's making/ 'Cause my hoe brings home the bacon/ She bites with strife/ And breaks the skin, oh." It is a sudden, unexpected shift, and it is brilliant. The juxtaposition between the raw visceral energy of this guttural delivery and the overflowing R&B-laden sentimentality of "Fill Me Up Anthem" creates a wholly infectious layered track. It is difficult to imagine any another artist besides Dapperton striking such a balance between these two disparate sonic notions in such authentic fashion.
In Dapperton's latest string of releases, all of which are leading up to the release of his debut album Where Polly People Go To Read, the New York Artist feels more unrestrained and adventurous than ever. Dapperton is clearly shaping up to release a debut album the likes of which we have never heard before.
Listen to "Fill Me Up Anthem" below:
