Review: Game Over - Dave

Game Over, which includes Dave's singles "Question Time" and "No Words," was released at Midnight, and has already had its praises sung by the fans. The songs on Game Over provide a blend of classic Dave, as seen on "Attitude," with a mix of a previously seen before Dave — one who is close to his thoughts and speaks them all on a track — which is seen on both "How I Met My Ex" and "My 19th Birthday."

The big single on the EP is "Question Time," released as the song to announce the forthcoming body of work. "Question Time" is a song about the state of British politics, lending its name from a BBC politics programme (also called Question Time, if that was not obvious), and shows Dave stating his bewilderment at the Government. In the song, which now has sound bites of politicians — including Boris Johnson and Donald Trump — suggesting their hopelessness, Dave puts questions to Theresa May, David Cameron, and Jeremy Corbyn. The song also talks about controversial matters, such as the NHS, whilst also questioning the responsibility and actions of those who caused the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Overall "Question Time" is one of the most influential songs written by an artist, especially with the sudden decline in politically-inspired music, as its interrogation of the politicians allows the listeners to find a new interest in the pursuit of good government — and to question whether or not the lovable Jeremy Corbyn can provide all of his election promises. The line, "Everybody's great until you get them into office and then guys start forgetting things. Prove to us you're different, don't promise me anything," is the key to the song, despite it coming right at the end, as it is telling the listener to not take what someone says as a promise as the absolute truth.

The other single released, on the same day as the EP, was "No Words" featuring MoStack produced by Dave and Steel Banglez. The collaboration, between two artists who are renowned for making hit songs, on "No Words" works perfectly and is quite close in style to another Dave song "Samantha" (featuring J Hus). The song itself has Dave saying that he won't end any "beef" but that he doesn't want to hear any words. The song is believed to be about Uncle Rafool, who Dave recently had an outburst towards on Twitter, who had suggested that Dave (who is entirely independent) had "his head in Drake's a**" and also gave a back handed compliment about his music. However, as the clash between the two happened so recently — it is entirely possible that the song is Dave showing his "sweetboy" charm by avoiding drama. Regardless, the song is a big hit and could possibly be the highest charting from the album due to its charm and easy melody.

Also on the EP was a song called "Attitude," which has a feeling of "Summer Tune" to it. The positive beat and flow on said beat proposes a great hit, if released as a single it would chart very highly due to its simplicity — yet it still has people trying to catch bars as they fly past. The song "Calling Me Out" is similar in style to "Tequilla," with its subtle edge of different genres colliding. It is another song which exemplifies Dave's ability to mix things up, whilst still keeping his very original abilities on a track. It is a song which will no doubt be copied by any rap artist looking for a big party hit.

The songs which fans are most excited about are, as mentioned when showing Dave's new thoughtful side, "How I Met My Ex" and "My 19th Birthday." Both songs are undoubtedly upsetting, as seen with the downbeat piano — played by Dave — in "How I Met My Ex." We have seen this side of Dave on tracks on the Six Paths EP "Picture Me," "Panic Attack," and "Breathe." It may seem like the suggestion that we have not seen this Dave before was false due to the 3 songs from Six Paths, however on these new tracks we see it as pure self-medication from Dave. In the ending of the album, on "My 19th Birthday," we hear Dave speaking about his mental state — sounding close to symptoms of anxiety and depression. This is not new for UK Rap artists, with Stormzy also being front with his battle with depression on his own album. The song is close to 9 minutes long, but provides a true insight into the crazy life of David Santan. Dave appears to use his music as his autobiography, and that is what makes his music special. Just because you can't relate to every song, doesn't mean that he's not relatable to you.

As a fan of his music, I sincerely hope that Dave uses this pain to continue making meaningful music. It would be a tragedy to lose an artist who has shown so much intelligence and ability since 16, when he featured on "Bl@ckbox."

To summarise and review this EP, it is one of the best releases of 2017 and provides an illustration of what an artist should be. Diverse, talented, and intelligent. Dave's music might be his own medication, but it also provides his fans something to help them come to terms with the reality of life. I'd recommend Dave to anyone wanting to listen to music which provides the ability for you to both relax and be put on edge. Whenever I listen to his music, I hear the pain through his voice and realise that what he's saying is his way of presenting his life.

My Movember link: mobro.co/samketch — Please donate if you can help me out. I am raising money for Men's Health (specifically Mental Health).