ASK ALICE – D.B.D (Death By Darkness)
By Libby Driscoll
After lockdown instigated a change in musical direction for ASK ALICE, the Scottish alt-pop artist releases an intimate reflection on her battles with mental health in her latest single Death By Darkness.
ASK ALICE – D.B.D
ASK ALICE is the project of musician Natalie Joy, with D.B.D being only her second single (after Free World) to date. Teaming up with producer LOWT, Joy’s latest single is taken off her forthcoming debut EP, HEARTWORK, which is an anticipated collection of Joy’s understandings of life so far, including the highs and lows that both love and life itself sets out to give us.
D.B.D is a doomy, ethereal take on Joy’s battles with depression. The song reflects on her struggles and explores how confronting our inner demons can help us move forward with self-acceptance and recovery. The lyrics following the first verse state,
“All is quiet, all is well, I bought some flowers back from hell.
The mistake was mine, I know I’ve been unkind to myself.”
It feels refreshing to hear a take on mental health with a positive outline; yes, the past has been dark but from that, we can recognise that we need to be easier on ourselves to move forward.
The textures explored through the track mimic the conflicting nature felt whilst struggling with our own internal issues and mental health. From soft and ominous synth pads cushioning the song to sharp and punchy beats appearing sporadically in the chorus, the track not only sounds unique to ASK ALICE’s chic, but cleverly builds upon each characterised element of its instrumentation.
The reflective nature of self-destruction in the track feels like something a great deal of us can relate to; whether it was battles with mental health or mistakes in the past, D.B.D allows us to look back and accept the past, whilst gently reminding us to be kinder to ourselves in the future. D.B.D is a promising lead up to ASK ALICE’s upcoming EP, and will keep us eagerly waiting to see what else ASK ALICE has to offer.