Fukushima Dolphin's new single, "Dictator's Daughter,'" embodies the tightrope walk from obsession to enthusiasm, and it could just be their boldest move yet.
"Dictator's Daughter" sounds out like a mirage, with glistening guitar textures cavorting across a motoric undertow that is deeply personal. But it's the heart that draws you in, the tale of becoming involved with someone born into an establishment, wondering whether she's a captive or complicit. There's pressure here, not in volume, but in pitch. The lead vocalist and songwriter, Josh Dolphin, sings with a gentle ache that's confessional more than confrontational. His voice hovers just above the haze, gliding across layered textures that loop and build with a dreamlike insistence. You can hear the street-busker soul in Josh's phrasing, which is searching and open-ended, but the production is slick, modern, and down-tempo epic.
This is not just another love song. It's an internal meditation, one made against a backdrop of autocracy. The unmistakably intense sound of Fukushima Dolphin should be no stranger to the Brighton public, and their ability to make experimentalism accessible has won them a dedicated following on the South Coast. From late-night club gigs to on-the-spot street performances on the loop station, their music always seemed to be playing live and in motion. The "Dictator's Daughter" is no exception.
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