Album Review: BØRNS – Dopamine

There just isn’t anyone else quite like BØRNS in the pop charts and with his debut album Dopamine, he shows us exactly why that is. It’s is a rare mix of eclectic electro-pop hits, that make you feel like you’ve loved, lost and more by the time the album ends.

Garrett Borns dipped his toes into many a creative pool – not only mastering magic, but also receiving a full art school scholarship at the age of 13 before he decided to travel and discover both himself and his voice, and we’re so glad he did. Even with a very consistent sound throughout, each track on Dopamine still has its own texture. Electric Love and Past Lives for example are fun and refreshing and sound like they jumped right out of the late 50’s. Electric Love in particular has that innocent pop vibe with strong backing vocals almost reminiscent of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, In fact, BØRNS voice has a tone quite similar to that of Frankie, especially noticeable in his flawless transitions into a clean and crisp falsetto.

Clouds, a song that resembles a lazy Sunday with its slow and languid delivery, was an unexpected surprise. Just like those lazy days, Clouds doesn’t attempt to speed up or get adventurous and it’s this slow static feeling that makes the song so special. Despite the brightness explored in the song, evident in the tone of the guitar, Clouds feels dark and thoughtful, like its a just a passing moment of doubt, a split second of loneliness in a crowded room.

The fleeting moment of uncertainty fades off to make way for the title track, Dopamine. The song begins with the line, “Wanna feel that stream of dopamine,” and never has a line perfectly summed up an entire album so well. This track in its entirety pinpoints everything that you feel when listening to Dopamine; a rush of emotions, an influx of chemicals that you can’t quite explain and a feeling of love, life and everything in between.

Kasey Smith