Concept records can be a tricky business. For artists, it opens up the possibility of writing oneself into a corner. To let the theme or storyline lead the song instead of pursuing a particular riff, melody, or rhythm. Too often it provides a convenient cover for pseudo-intellectual ego stroking and masturbatory self-indulgence. Listeners, too, face the risk of diving too deep into a conceptual rabbit hole and losing sight of the actual music in front of them.
Done well, however, concept records can provide a structural and ideological framework to organize and guide an album. They can provide a means for tracks to lead into and support one another, both lyrically and in regards to the instrumentation. And they can provide a platform for bold risk-tasking and stylistic exploration that can lift songwriters and listeners out of the shackles of genre and into some place new and exciting.
All of which brings us to Doesin.
Inspired by the mythological journey to the underworld, the trio’s upcoming new album, The World Below, is a concept record that examines that emotional and spiritual transformations that people must make when confronted with their own darkness and mortality. “In order to return to the world of the living, those who journey below must face and overcome the darkness within themselves,” guitarist and vocalist Austin Adkins tells Immersive. “This universal story symbolizes a psychological change that everyone must go through in their life; only after recognizing and coming to terms with our own shadow are we able to leave the dark night of the soul and feel the sunshine again.”
In order to soundtrack such an expansive and complex story, the band is said to have drawn deep from their wide range of influences, pulling bits and pieces of classic rock, Latin music, funk, ’90s alternative, stoner metal, Indian ragas, and more to construct a world that feels both alien and familiar. In the case of lead single “Seven,” which we’re excited to premiere for you today, you can hear elements of emo, jazz, and straightforward indie rock coming together to create a moody, almost aqueous backdrop for Adkins’ searching vocals. It’s a major leap from the funk-infused prog and psych-rock that informed the threesome’s last record, It’s Bad Sometimes, but no less adventurous. If anything, the song signals a more refined and thoughtful approach for the group, which makes sense given the breadth of their creative undertaking and the precariousness of our world in general.
‘”Seven” is the most hopeful track on the album,” Adkins says. “It’s about finding love and light in the midst of all this darkness and chaos. I think a lot of people can relate to that right now, since it seems like the world has been falling apart lately.”
Check it out below.
Doesin will celebrate the release of the World Below on Thursday, May 25 at the Earl. Supporting them will be Flower, Cinema Novo, and Gas Hound. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $8. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Web: doesin.com
Bandcamp: doesin.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @doesin.atl
Instagram: @doesin.atl
SoundCloud: @doesin
Twitter: @doesin_atl