Dave - PSYCHODRAMA
Critic Score
Based on 15 reviews
2019 Ratings: #5 / 805
Year End Rank: #23
User Score
2019 Rank: #311
Liked by 139 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
NME

A moving, quasi-concept album, this debut from the 20-year-old rapper is bold and thought-provoking, the kind of record that comes along only rarely.

100
The Guardian

Fearless and incisive, Dave’s reportage-style tracks sketch out race, prison and abusive relationships, resulting in a landmark record.

100
The Independent

At 20 years old, Dave – born David Orobosa Omoregie – has just released one of the most thoughtful, moving and necessary albums of 2019 so far.

100
Albumism
As the album draws to a close with a bible text read by the artist’s incarcerated brother, the listener is reminded of the notion that the closest we ever feel to god, is when we are confronted with a great piece of art. This is a magnificent album that is sure to be studied, remembered and written about in years to come. It is great art.
95
The Line of Best Fit

PSYCHODRAMA isn’t an album to stand up and rejoice to. It’s a sit-down-and-consume, a listen-and-learn. In doing that, you appreciate the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into the prose.

90
musicOMH

It’s rare to hear a debut album so confident and accomplished, especially when the artist himself has just turned 20 years old. Yet Psychodrama is pretty close to a masterpiece and raises the bar for a new standard in British rap.

90
AllMusic

Packing dense lyricism, poignant introspection, and resonant production into a neatly compiled concept, PSYCHODRAMA has all the makings of a generational classic.

90
DIY

For the most part ... ‘Psychodrama’ is consistent in its darkness, in its razor-sharp lyricism.

90
Crack Magazine

Dave’s level of self-awareness and display of unabashed rawness allows listeners to be drawn in on an emotive level, allowing Psychodrama to resonate with young people across Britain.

90
Highsnobiety

PSYCHODRAMA is a consistently engaging record that echoes the complexities of being black in a broken Britain. It feels like a giant step forward for UK rap.

80
Pitchfork

His debut album, Psychodrama, is one of the most significant bodies of British rap music in a generation.

80
The Observer

The past three years have seen him grow from underground street-freestyling sensation to truly versatile artist.

80
Q Magazine

Psychodrama is a bold statement from a rapper unafraid to ask tough questions of himself--and the often unforgiving world around him.

80
Evening Standard

A concept record of sorts, Psychodrama has the 20-year-old from Streatham apparently undergoing therapy — a conceit that works thanks to his consistently sharp, sometimes shocking lyrics.

50
The Needle Drop

It's hard not to nod in agreement with what Dave's saying throughout Psychodrama, but generic instrumentals and humdrum flows don't translate many of his good points into captivating songs.

PatrickL0419
54

People seemed to really enjoy this record, and while Dave is a very technically proficient rapper, I didn't find Pscyhodrama all that captivating.

The beats are serviceable but not very memorable, and the socio-political threads through which Dave weaves his lyrical tapestry are almost as cliché as the metaphor I just used. I applaud any rapper that attempts to tackle societal issues in their music, but Dave doesn't really put a personal spin on it, and seems content to just throw out ... read more

zachthesnack
64

Edit: OKAY FUCK IT I LOVE THIS

Prelude: This might be shaping up to be the best year that UK Rap has ever seen

Review: GODDAMMIT THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A 9, BUT VOICES WAS SO GODDAMN BAD UGH

This is perhaps, the most meaningful rap release of the year so far. UK Rapper Dave absolutely pours out his heart over 11 tracks. His keen sense of wordplay and admirable storytelling abilities are the most likable features of this album. The album features this 10 minute epic of a song called Lesley ... read more

BEAR
85

Goddamn this is fantastic. I think even people who don't like British Rap could enjoy this. Dave is a great storyteller and lyricist and he showcases that on this album. The instrumentals on this album are beautiful produced too. They make the whole psychodrama theme of the album better. AOTY so far.

FAV TRACKS: Psycho, Streatham, Black, Disaster, Screwface Capital, Lesley,

LEAST FAV TRACK: Voices

EDIT: Damn this grew off me.

EDIT 2: Okay it grew back a bit.

OG RATING: 96

72

gets a lot of love from others but to me it missed in a few areas

90

Incredible. The maturity Dave displays on this album is ridiculous for his age, and whilst his ability to make hard-hitting tracks like Streatham and Black is what gets him most of the credit, his ability to mix that up with a chill 'song of the summer' like Location really shows a versatility that I think people often overlook.

83

solid first album

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Track List

1Psycho
4:08
91
2Streatham
3:25
87
3Black
3:48
87
4Purple Heart
2:44
72
5Location
4:01
feat. Burna Boy
84
6Disaster
4:00
feat. J Hus
81
7Screwface Capital
4:13
87
8Environment
3:22
82
9Lesley
11:07
feat. Ruelle
93
10Voices
3:18
64
11Drama
7:03
82
Total Length: 51 minutes
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Added on: March 3, 2019