Regrown has always been a band focused on confronting the wrongdoings of themselves and others. Take, for example, the song “Hang Up” off of their 2022 self-titled EP, a song dedicated to confronting their own poor treatment of others when in a bad place themselves. Thus, from the very first line of their latest single, “Dashboard,” Regrown poses one question to an estranged figure in their life, but also themselves.
The incredibly catchy refrain, which opens the song, asking “Aren’t you tired of being angry?” is most easily read as a question posed to some estranged figure, like an ex. The next few lines support this, with lines like “Every single conversation/Well it never goes to plan” making it clear that someone else is being addressed here. This refrain is repeated throughout the song, with loud, fast paced drums keeping the energy up, and vocalist Ben Greenblatt’s vocals easily taking the spotlight.
As we near the middle of the song, however, the lines “I called it off/’Cause it was no good for my health/Never once would I have thought/That the problem was myself” show this double-reading. Here, the band confronts their own anger - anger that can be seen in their previous songs, with songs like “Trauma Bonding,” also off of their self-titled EP, having lines like “You’re a parasite, and I’m losing light” showing a clear angry tone. “Dashboard,” then, looks back, and asks for some maturity, and, with lines like “I can’t wait for this forever/but I think it’s for the best” and “Maybe I should call it off, leave it all stuck in the past”, presents a sort of acceptance in letting go of both parties’ wrongdoings.
This step towards maturity is reflected in the sounds of the new single. The single sounds much cleaner: the guitar is softer and a little less edgy than much of Regrown’s previous work, the drums are tighter and snappier, and the vocals sound a bit more controlled. The lyrics of “Dashboard” mirror the growth of Regrown as a band as they polish their signature catchy hooks and powerful instrumentals to the best they’ve been yet, giving the listener an incredible earworm perfect for the summer season.
