Press Play: Dent May

With an album like this, I am reminded of a quote by Mark Twain:

There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.”

I am noticing now that quoting a 19th Century writer wasn’t the most attention-grabbing way to start out a web article. However, I believe it works great for this. A good creator is a good critic. They are able to look upon past subjects, see what works and what does not, and ultimately decides whether or not to use them.

Dent May’s new album is called Across the Multiverse and its primary inspiration is the slick, dreamlike melodies of yesteryear. It’s a little chamber pop; it’s a little lounge music. But, what May adds new is what makes all of the difference.

The genre May chose is usually reserved for lighthearted love songs. However, his subject matter comes from pondering our own mortality and place in the universe. Each song takes an aspect of modern life and then questions its meaning. What is reality? What is real? Who knows? Across the Multiverse asks these existential questions with the detached glee of a fluffy, old pop song.

Dent May is from Jackson, Mississippi, but is currently based in Los Angeles. This album is LA, through and through. It serves as a harsh critique on the nature of the city and modern society, as a whole. We are so obsessed with creating our own false realities that we start to lose touch with what is actually real.

The aesthetic May has chosen is one pure nostalgia for the 80s and 90s. He uses the iconography from the era to show a simpler time, but also to point out that this was the beginning to many of our modern problems. He seems to be hoping he could turn back time and maybe change a few things, but he knows that he cannot. There is nothing we can do about it. This is our world now. Here’s a pop song:

Check out more from Dent May and other artists like him by keeping tuned in to RSURadio.com!