Dungeonesse never plays like a side project because symbiosis brings out the best in both members.
Wasner and Ehrens have made an album that honors their devotion to R&B and dance music in the best way possible, with love, respect, and a bunch of memorable jams.
It's got parts that are shamelessly fun and danceworthy, it's got parts that require a careful listen and an open heart.
Their take on the poppier side of modern R&B would sound at home on a playlist with Jessie Ware and Solange, but they’re also trying to reanimate a very specific mid-90s vibe-- think Jock Jams for a private party rather than a whole bleacher-rocking stadium.
You might not be able to play Dungeonesse at a summer party from start to finish, but it can be brilliantly interspersed among other hipster-approved pop.
Ultimately the one thing truly lacking on ‘Dungeonesse’ is the bright spark that makes pop stars so entertaining to obsess over.
For all its glitz and shine, Dungeonesse feels slightly disingenuous – a rather contrived leap onto the 'summer of disco' bandwagon.
All in all, it's a good romp, and it's always compelling to hear an artist's voice outside its associated context.
Ultimately though, there are too many times here where these tracks sound too contrived and calculated, a false approximation in place of the real thing.
A greater emphasis on humanism would give Dungeonesse more soul and, perhaps most important of all, more hooks.
Dungeonesse mostly ends up feeling like a misfire. Wasner certainly has the vocal chops to pull off this kind of music, but the general lack of hooks and the weird choice to focus so much on treble sounds holds it back.