Lee AdcockLet’s face it: more people read science fiction than actual science magazines. That’s not a diss on people, per se; stories just tend to captivate us more than proven fact. And if you’ve read science fiction—or watched TV lately—then you’ve likely seen some variation of the always-wired society that we’re now all citizens of. Granted, even today, sometimes those fictions don’t catch up to the science. If any entity seizes control of the human race, it won’t be robots that develop consciousness—it’ll be whoever codes the algorithms that we learn to rely on for everything.
Up until now, extraterrestrial explorer Delorean Gray, aka Jacob Chisenhall, hasn’t been too concerned with humanity’s imminent fate. A few years ago in Athens, Chisenhall had only daydreams and pedalboards to worry about with his first project, Fake Flowers. The new alien persona lighted into Chisenhall’s imagination last year and steered him to a glittering synthetic planet, where our fearless leader could embrace a more colorful approach to romance. But while pilot flight Star Tropics proved to entertain earthling crowds with bossa nova beaches and chrome bikinis, Chisenhall still had no sense of direction. To an outsider looking in—particularly at his gigs, where the captain and his crew wore matching silver space suits and teleported the audience to their galaxy—the whole shtick seemed like just a novelty.
Since Star Tropics, however, Chisenhall has been riding his bike alone, thinking. With Otaku Punk, his second album under the Delorean Gray moniker, our protagonist looks outward to the future, as we humans ensconce ourselves in tailor-made digital worlds. He’s also embraced the pseudo-future of the ‘80s, with just a pinch of that Cold War paranoia. So while the chipper title track preps us for a neon-bright expedition into the tame synthpop of China Crisis or Haircut 101, the embedded warning against “algorithms that keep us confined” should tip off the tech-savvy adventurer to more sinister forces. And for that, Otaku Punk winds up more focused and more myopic at the same time. Thanks to an expanded personnel and a clearer narrative, this return flight to Delorean Grey’s galaxy feels like a real journey instead of just a luxury cruise.
To be fair, Chisenhall hasn’t abandoned his taste for glamor or kitsch. Lead single “Aristonauts” intends to paint a Gary Numan-esque picture of the modern dystopia, as the titular alien race attempts to hack into Delorean’s conscience; in practice, though, the bouncy chorus and distant guitar licks harken more to Flock of Seagulls than Numan. That loyalty to pop doesn’t dilute the message, though. Even when “Astra Twin” dips into the bleakest condemnation of our plundered culture on the internet (“go trekking through the trash / just to find a new experience“), a New Order-like serenity curbs the heavy-handed snark. And when closer “Neon Wasteland/Conch Shells” suddenly bursts into a lush, Beach Boys-like paradise that echoes back to Star Tropics, you can’t help but share the catharsis of leaving the whole virtual charade behind.
Granted, there’s an unfortunate side effect to sticking with the script. Delorean Gray might face the brave new world as he slides into the Aristonauts’ dream simulation, but he also faces two dilemmas that outdate time immemorial—romance, and the mid-album slump. Otaku Punk suffers from an unfortunate sequence of three ballads in a row. “Syndicate” at least makes up for the slackened tempo with a hard-wired sleaziness that matches lines like “Searching for a full-time muse / I think you’re more than capable.” (It’s not full-on Fad Gadget ooze, mind.) A OMD-like bop called “Emulator” aligns us back on the path to enlightenment and catchy hooks.
In all, the adventures of Delorean Gray resembles more a Technicolor cartoon than a nuanced novel on the dangers of Big Data. But again, most of us consume fantasies and fictions more than fact-based tracts. Why not follow the rabbit hole down if the tunnel twists up to the truth? Even with all the glitter and sunshine, Chisenhall may have decoded the human race more accurately than many a sci-fi writer.
Delorean Gray will perform on Sat., Mar. 30 at 529 alongside Michael Myerz, Shouldies, and the Wreck Shit Club. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $8. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: graydelorean.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @graydelorean
Instagram: @delorean.gray