DREAMCAR - Dreamcar (2017)

In the summer of 2014, No Doubt s Tony Kanal [bass], Tom Dumont [guitar], and Adrian Young [drums] and singer Davey Havok [AFI, Blakq Audio] began writing and demoing music together. Without telling a soul outside of their significant others, the four musicians clandestinely moved into a cramped downtown Los Angeles rehearsal spot and revved up what would become DREAMCAR. The result of this collaboration is their self-titled debut album, DREAMCAR, produced by Tim Pagnotta [Neon Trees], with whom the band found a kindred spirit.

The band's name actually reflects their ambitions. "DREAMCAR speaks to a nostalgia, but as much as it speaks to the past, it also speaks to the present and the future," singer Davey Havok says. "It mirrors hopes, aspirations, and attaining the unattainable. I would hope the songs do the same thing." Rife with shimmering guitar tones, percussive slap bass, bombastic drums, and a neon-lit dancefloor dreaminess, DREAMCAR gleefully nods to the decade of Boy George and Back to the Future through a kaleidoscope of wisdom earned from three decades creating and connecting with fans worldwide.

The first single "Kill For Candy" instantly enchants with its upbeat energy and sweet, saccharine chant punctuated by a twisting and turning guitar and driving rhythms. The album swings between the "Frankie Goes To Hollywood-style" risqué spoken narrative of On The Charts to the delicate longing of the synth-washed "Slip On The Moon" where Havok pleads, "Just look for me, I will look for you." "Born To Lie" builds from a breathy verse into an expansive refrain, while the opener "After I Confess" sees his hypnotic and haunting vocal soar over airy and open soundscapes. Ultimately, it's that combination of delectable and dangerous which will leave listeners everywhere satisfied. "This is a big moment for us," Kanal leaves off. "It's a new beginning. We can't wait to perform the songs live."