Bryce Bishop Searches For Calm in Cathartic Single "dumb fuck"
Photo: Carolina Bishop
New York-based emo-pop artist and producer Bryce Bishop makes his long-awaited return with the release of his latest genre-bending single "dumb fuck." Collecting various influences from Modern Baseball to brakence, the Califonia native's track delivers a cathartic energy that rips into listeners' emotions with descriptive storytelling and raw, emotive vocal delivery that would make anyone want to cry and scream along.
"dumb fuck" opens with a call back to his 2021 hit "Spite," using the same voice memo sample that feels like an intimate glimpse into a relationship long gone. The song's first acoustic guitar-led movement props up Bishop's rich, conflicted vocals, using his verses to paint a scene of sleepless nights full of doubt, dissolving relationships, and a seemingly endless search for calm in the storm that is his life. This culminates in a soaring falsetto over deep synth bass and multi-layered instrumentation. "I haven't felt the same way about somebody since you left, ah / Plеase leave mе be / I might try to find some peace... / With the memories I have of you / Pull them out, my aching tooth," cries out Bishop.
"'dumb fuck' is a culmination of three years of work, stress, moving, friends, relationships, and music," shared Bishop. "I'm so glad it's finally out. It feels like pulling a clump of hair out of a clogged drain. I hope you like it <3."
The track's second and third movements revisit an instant of our protagonist stuck in a cyclical, forced conversation with Bishop pleading to be freed from an emotional torment he doesn't deserve. Leading into a collage of intensifying drums and synth arpeggios, he realizes that he's had enough and bursts into a powerful declaration, culminating in the lyric, "You said I won't open up, and I thought not to you I won't."
"dumb fuck" follows the success of Bishop's previous single,"'communication is the basis for every strong relationship,'" which currently has over 500,000 streams on Spotify alone and will also be a part of the artist's upcoming EP, due out November 6. The record will mark the end of an era of the rising artist, who is using this collection of songs to talk directly about his personal experiences, as the months following will be spent writing a fantasy-esque concept album set to be completed towards the end of 2024.
Listen to "dumb fuck" below:
