Isaac Dunbar, Isaac’s Insects | Album Review 💿

Isaac Dunbar delivers a sensational, seven-song EP with Isaac’s Insects tackling mature topics including identity, love, and sexuality.

Heed my words – don’t ever underestimate the young! Yes, alt-pop musician Isaac Dunbar is merely 17), but he’s an incredibly talented individual. With each and every Dunbar release in 2020, listeners were privy to a rising star.  Leading up to the release of his second EP, Isaac’s Insects, the youngster released four awesome singles, all showstopping bops: “Isaac’s Insects”, “Makeup Drawer”, “Scorton’s Creek”, and “comme des garçons (like the boys)”.  His first three singles grace the Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy playlists in January, February, and March – how epic is that? Now, we have a collection of seven songs from the wunderkind, with excellent results.

“Makeup Drawer”

“And I know where you’ll be / You locked the door to my makeup drawer / And you know where I’ll be / Rummage galore through my makeup drawer.” Opener ✓ “Makeup Drawer” arrived as the second advance single from Isaac’s Insects. “Makeup Drawer” finds Dunbar being more more honest and revealing not only to the audience, he also, to himself. “I shattered mirrors to cope / You made me hate what I saw,” he sings on the second verse, continuing, “Ooh la la la / Oh / It’s such a pity.”  Per his Instagram, Dunbar asserts:

“This song is about the struggle I had my whole life with internalized homophobia.  My sexuality was outed by someone I thought I could trust most. I hated myself because I was not surrounded by the right support system at the time.”

Interestingly, the bridge seems to really focus on both Dunbar’s internalized homophobia and the person who outed him.  Dunbar shows he’s not only extremely talented, but totally ‘woke.’  He’s on-point in every aspect of “Makeup Drawer” from the songwriting (particularly the theme), production, and the vocals.

The fourth and final advance single, the French-titled ✓ “Comme des garçons (like the boys)”, is a logical follow-up. Beyond the title, the next thing that makes the record stand out is the production. The synths are colorful, filled with exuberance, making “comme des garçons” sleek AF; “comme des garçons” has a compelling argument for the best production work of Isaac’s Insects. “Comme des garçons” is also a winner thanks to Dunbar’s amazing voice and perhaps more strikingly, the lyrics. “Comme des garçons (like the boys)” is personal and thoughtful, finding Dunbar reflecting on identity issues while fiercely embracing nonconformity on the chorus: “I don’t wanna be the same / I don’t wanna be like you / I don’t wanna be comme des garçons...”

“Isaac’s Insects”

“Why are all of Isaac’s Insects insane? / Terrorize his life and pick apart his brain.” Hmm, an intriguing, thought provoking question! On ✓ “Isaac’s Insects”, the ‘insects’ know too much about Dunbar. From the onset of this minor key cut, he sings, on the first verse, “Insects know my secret life / They on my walls only at night / To judge me / Oh, how they judge me.” On the second, the ‘creepy crawlers’ are worse: “Insects wish the worst for me / And they befriend my enemy / And it shocks me / Oh, how it shocks me.” As much as he tries to rid of them, they simply won’t go away, best exemplified by the crowning achievement, the chorus:

“Stomp on them, they’ll come right back
This time they’re back with more times ten
I’ve had enough of beady eyes
And men in black who know my lies…”

The lyrics are quite compelling.  Obviously, he isn’t talking about literal insects, but fans who go to the absolute extreme.  Beyond the theme, though, the vocals are fantastic, whether Dunbar is singing in harmony, falsetto, or dabbling in autotune/pitch shift.  The backdrop is also pretty sweet, with the synths and the infectious, if enigmatic groove.

On the slower paced “Boy,” Isaac dabbles in matters of the heart, quite the relatable topic, of course. Lyrically, he exhibits his desire, infatuation, and obsession with a nameless boy.  “I starve myself up / If only we were right,” he sings amorously on the first verse, continuing, “Seasoned with thyme / An intermittent love.”  It’s certainly a fitting pre-cursor to advance single that follows, ✓ “Scorton’s Creek”. 

“Scorton’s Creek”  

“Scorton’s Creek” continues to showcase the genius of the wunderkind.  Written by Dunbar, he produces alongside Drew Pearson.  The backdrop is alluring and well-rounded, featuring a dreamy, lush sound matching the love-centric theme. “Let’s go to the tennis court / And take some pictures once more / I’d love to sneak a peek of you while you’re posing.” Young Isaac sings about falling in love, and all the reactions he has towards the person he’s in love with, or how he envisions the relationship. Unfortunately, he also seems to understand the plight of love, crushing, and such at the end clearly:

“I don’t wanna say goodbye
I fear you love somebody else
But there’s no way that you can control how you feel
So, I’ll just have to learn between what’s fake and real.” 

Once more, Dunbar lets us into his life on this excellent coming of age song that’s brief but incredibly potent.  As to be expected, penultimate number ✓ “Suicide” is dark and haunting.  As he has throughout Isaac’s Insects, Isaac Dunbar sings expressively, prompting the listener to lean on his every note and every word.  While his voice is beautiful without effects, like “Isaac’s Insects,” there are some neat pitch shifted moments providing a colorful, unique contrast.  Lyrically, “Suicide” matches the poetic vibe that characterizes the EP as a whole, particularly the centerpiece, the chorus:

“My skin is very young
But my heart is very old
My mind thinks lips and tongue
But my bones decide my home
My fears ran through my lungs
And my eyes only saw gold
My room’s where my throat hung
And my fingers turned purple.”

If “Suicide” weren’t chilling enough, “Colony” concludes Isaac’s Insects in chilling fashion as well. Again, the vocal performance is a huge selling point – Dunbar has a stunning instrument, particularly to be merely 17.  Adding to the excellence is minimal, restrained production that emphasizes the crown jewel himself.  And it goes without saying, lyrically, “Colony” is another gem, finding Dunbar brilliantly referencing those ‘insects.’  It’s a fitting coda to a superb EP.

Final Thoughts

Isaac Dunbar is a star, period.  He stands out as one of the most mature teenage musicians I’ve ever seen.  There is nothing the least bit ‘bubblegum’ pop about Isaac’s Insects as he tackles truly relevant topics that affect people far older.   Such topics include identity, internalized homophobia, sexuality, and of course, suicide.  Isaac’s Insects is a truly glorious, 24-minute listening experience. 

✓ Gems: “Makeup Drawer,” “comme des garçons (like the boys),” “Isaac’s Insects,” “Scorton’s Creek” & “Suicide”

Isaac Dunbar • Isaac’s Insects • RCA • Release: 4.9.20

Photo Credit: RCA