ericdoa showcases definitive excellence in alt-pop evolution in his latest record, "DOA"
(Source: ericdoa on Instagram)
While ericdoa loves to experiment with sound in each of his projects constantly, he never fails to exhibit an energetic sense of playfulness in each and every one of his tracks. ericdoa started exploring the realms of pop and trap in his debut, Public Enemy, shifting into a more cultivated digicore aesthetic in COA, his second album.
His last record, things with wings, unsurprisingly continued a trend of exploring new sonic elements. The album developed a bullish indie pop vibe that still glistened with electric hints of a hyperpop past, but the overall sound ended up being more controversial in the eyes of fans: some believed it to be a refreshing artistic direction from ericdoa, but others thought it was simply too drastic of a shift that lacked some of the charm present in ericdoa’s previous works. With a widely diverse discographical history, fans were left intrigued as to how exactly ericdoa was going to continue evolving as he began rolling out plans for his new record.
The lead single “kickstand” began the rollout for DOA, ericdoa’s fourth studio album. The song bases itself around an energetic Plugg-style beat with floaty, swoopy synths, creating a vibrant and buoyant aura that is undeniably catchy. ericdoa writes with playful braggart on “kickstand,” boasting lines such as “Tryna say I fell off, never been so wrong / Tryna stack my shit, get rich, I’m gone / I’m makin’ hits and these boys make songs / They been tryna take my sauce.” ericdoa proudly exclaims that he’s back with a new era in “kickstand,” a track that successfully introduces listeners for what’s to come in DOA. His claims on “kickstand” ultimately ring true; DOA feels to be his most authentic and impressive yet, revitalizing and revamping a more centralized alternative pop sound.
ericdoa takes all of the greatest aspects from his former projects and perfects them alongside continuing to implement entirely new ideas as well. For example, the instrumentation and distortion in tracks like “lastjune” and “crisis actor” spark speckled flares of rock and punk that help give DOA a certain edge in its tracklist. While new sounds are explored throughout his latest record, DOA feels like a much more refined culmination of what ericdoa has consistently put out in his career, appealing to both long-time fans and newcomers.
It would be wrong to say that ericdoa does not take himself seriously in DOA, but this project flaunts some of his most fun and upbeat songs. The single “dancinwithsomebawdy” especially sticks out as one of the strongest tracks in the album. The track’s energy is infectious, making any listener want to get up and bust a move alongside the rambunctious charisma expressed through its sonic quality, lyricism, and vocal performance. “dancingwithsomebawdy” is a good stepping stone between ericdoa’s more recent and former works; it’s best described as a dance pop track, but it’s electric synths and 2-step percussion help tie it back to his earlier hyperpop songs.
Tracks like “paystub” and “imcoolimgoodimstraight” remain a lot more faithful to ericdoa’s hyperpop past, feeling substantially more glitchy and electric than the other tracks record. “Imcoolimgoodimstraight” might balance all of ericdoa’s aspirations the best throughout DOA, being one of the most impressive tracks in terms of vocal performance and lyricism. He sounds great on the track, exploring the higher and lower depths of his range as well as experimenting with different vocals effects to add additional texture and dynamic contrast.
The lyrics of “imcoolimgoodimstraight” detail the complexities of overthinking in a relationship. ericdoa sings “Overachiever, nobody believes ya / Pray to a false god, until my knees hurt / You’re in my bloodstream, hot like a fever / If I knew you like you knew me, then I wouldn’t like me either.” While the track still feels very sonically fun and upbeat, it’s refreshing to see him expose a slightly more vulnerable side in his music. “imcoolimgoodimstraight” is simply phenomenal in every way, a critical standout that shows just how impressive ericdoa’s latest record truly is.
ericdoa continues to evolve within his musical capabilities, hitting a sanguine sweet spot that checks every box in DOA. It’s the perfect album to dance to, hype yourself up to, or simply jam out to. DOA manages to flow in perfect equilibrium with all of the greatest components fans could want out of ericdoa’s music. DOA breathes new life into listeners; despite its title, DOA is anything but dead on arrival.