Psychodrama
by Dave
  • Record Label: N/A
  • Release Date: Mar 8, 2019
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. The Independent (UK)
    Mar 11, 2019
    100
    One of the most thoughtful, moving and necessary albums of 2019 so far. ... Tracks are at once astute and deeply personal in how they capture vignettes of everyday life and spin them into important lessons.
  2. New Musical Express (NME)
    Mar 11, 2019
    100
    In exploring himself on Psychodrama, Dave has produced a masterpiece. This 20-year-old has lost in some ways and won in others, and asks us to listen as he tries to find some answers. The lessons you learn with Dave are sure to live long in the memory.
  3. The Guardian
    Mar 11, 2019
    100
    Unvarnished and emotionally raw, it frequently makes for tough listening. Equally, as a showcase for Dave’s talents, it unquestionably works. His lyrics are smart, thoughtful, unflinching and self-aware. ... The end result is certainly the boldest album to emerge from UK hip-hop’s renaissance. It may also be the best.
  5. The Line of Best Fit
    Mar 11, 2019
    95
    Brief moments give breathing space in a record that’s suffocatingly intense. 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. It’s an overwhelmingly powerful 51 minutes of music unlike anything released this year.
  6. AllMusic
    Dec 13, 2019
    90
    PSYCHODRAMA has all the makings of a generational classic. Packing dense lyricism, poignant introspection, and resonant production into a neatly compiled concept, Dave's debut album is the product of a MC beyond his years, standing firmly among the Godfathers and Made in the Manors as one of the strongest British rap albums of the decade.
  7. musicOMH.com
    Mar 25, 2019
    90
    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.
  8. Q Magazine
    Apr 9, 2019
    80
    Psychodrama is a bold statement from a rapper unafraid to ask tough questions of himself--and the often unforgiving world around him. [Jun 2019, p.108]
    All this publication's reviews
  9. Pitchfork
    Mar 15, 2019
    80
    A different kind of hero’s journey through the musical mind, Psychodrama feels less like a platform for clout than a starting point for self-help and paradigmatic change.
  10. The Observer (UK)
    Mar 11, 2019
    80
    It all culminates in Lesley, a staggering, 11-minute exploration of toxic masculinity and domestic abuse. “Tell a yout’, if you got a brain then use it,” he raps, early on; Dave’s doing that, but has much more in his armoury than just brains.
  11. The Wire
    May 7, 2019
    60
    Musically it’s mannered to the point where he makes Stormzy look like Tempa T. Token exceptions offer some respite. On “Location” with Burna Boy and “Disaster” with J Hus he briefly escapes the bland backing and naff counselling concept to explore more primal modes of expression. But ultimately the failures predominate, most notably ten minutes of the heavy handed domestic violence PSA “Lesley”. [May 2019, p.50]
    All this publication's reviews

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best Album of 2019
37
#37 Most Discussed Album of 2019

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 205 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 164 out of 205
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 205
  3. Negative: 13 out of 205
  1. Bosstingz
    Mar 12, 2019
    10
    This best rap concept album since good kid maad city - Kendrick Lamar
    10/10
  2. RSVaughan
    Mar 31, 2019
    5
    This album is extremely overrated somehow. It's alright, sure, Dave's storytelling and lyricism skills are outstanding at some points on theThis album is extremely overrated somehow. It's alright, sure, Dave's storytelling and lyricism skills are outstanding at some points on the album, but they also falter on some of the less serious songs. The concept is cool, but it's not executed as convincingly as it could've been. Mostly though, the beats on this album are boring as **** They all use the same piano and it makes songs that aren't super lyrical really boring to listen to. Overall this album is not nearly as good as it could've been with a more realized concept and more interesting beats.… Full Review »
  3. Ibn_G
    Mar 19, 2019
    6
    Psychodrama is a very introspective and personal album by Dave in which he talks about a lot of issues regarding his own mental health, hisPsychodrama is a very introspective and personal album by Dave in which he talks about a lot of issues regarding his own mental health, his relationships, his family, his race, abuse relationship poverty and the general state of things in South London.
    His wordplay and lyrics are pretty good and mostly creative. One thing that could be a problem for some people are UK slangs that they might not understand. The beats and atmosphere are pretty chill and pretty basic, you might like that or not so much. One thing that bothers me with this album is Daves' delivery and flow. There is no real variation in how the approaches songs, so if you hear one song, most of the time you heard all the other songs just with different lyrics and another beat. The delivery also hurts the lyrics and general message he is trying to tell because it just feel like it's all on the surface and not really deep.
    All in all, Psychodrama is an alright album but nothing that revolutionary, highlight for me would include the opening track "Psycho" which is maybe the best song on the album, also tracks "Lesley" and "Screwface Capital" but without the unnecessary instrumental at the end.    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »