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Photo: Jared Kocka

“We’re here for a good time, not a long time,” or so they say. The rush, the thrill, the pure ecstasy of chasing a short-lived high or taste of catharsis without regard for what comes tomorrow is one of nightlife’s defining characteristics. It’s a double-edged sword that hurls us toward our highest highs, Advil-cured lows, and defines The Dare’s “Good Time.”

Harrison Patrick Smith, better known as The Dare first exploded onto the scene with “Girls,” a rapturous ode to sexual liberation and the euphoria of a night out amidst the swirling chaos of New York. The dance-punk breakout single felt like it was on the lips of every ‘it’ girl and boy from New York to Los Angeles, soundtracking moments of spiritual ecstasy from Le Bain to as far as Tenants of the Trees. And if “Girls” was unrestrained catharsis given sonic form, “Good Time” is akin to waking up with your wallet stolen, your head pounding, a barrage of hangxiety-rousing texts, and the unrelenting urge to party through it all. 

“‘Good Time’ represents the darker side of hedonism,’ says The Dare. “The hangover to the celebration of ‘Girls.’ It’s about trying to have fun when everything is fucked up, and failing.” While “Girls” felt like reawakening to the heyday of a LCD Soundsystem-led scored bloghouse era, “Good Time” is noticeably darker in direction, placing Smith’s idiosyncratic vocals against a barrage of insidious production. It’s the half-remembered migration from one club to the afters, hoping that life’s worries won’t have the cash to call an Uber to wherever the hell you end up this time. 

Watch the “Good Time” visualizer below: