It's always enjoyable to see an artist refine their wit and sound without sacrificing the groove. The Cardiff, Wales-born singer-songwriter Daddy Drwg, aka Richard Proctor, makes a triumphant return with "Wise Guys," an acid-tongued summer single that challenges you to whistle along as it gleefully tears down ways men think way too much.
Released on August 1, 2025, "Wise Guys" is Daddy Drwg's first record since his praised debut "A Tree Called Happy" debuted in mid-2024, and it has the impact of a smarmy grin coming off your lip at two o'clock Sunday morning. It kicks off with a snappy whistle and one of those foot-stomping beats that make it impossible not to nod your head along. Don't be tricked by the bounce, this is swagger-inoculated satire. There is a theatricality to it all, imagine Nick Cave fronting a cabaret after one too many pints, or Jarvis Cocker channelling street-corner prophets. It's very much Daddy Drwg blackly comic, affecting, and irresistible. With lyrics as pointedly sharp as they are coy, Drwg here turns his pen to the bluff and bluster of modern masculinity. He mocks braggadocio, pokes at entitlement, and holds up a funhouse mirror to emotional illiteracy, all with a smile that is equally wryly playful and pointed. "Wise Guys" is more than just catchy, it's commentary you can dance to.
If anything is to be judged by, next up from Drwg is long overdue and more than welcome, a crucial listen for anyone who needs something other than the same old swagger in their life.