Melbourne indie-folk artist Dean Luke name-checks Freud on ‘What Do I Know?’ an upbeat and existential new single.
Dean Luke has released ‘What Do I Know?’, an existential new single that marks the Melbourne-based artist’s debut.
Pairing infectious indie-rock flairs with a message about finding oneself, the track borrows from 90s jangle giants like The Cure and Pavement, ushering what’s sure to be a breakout moment for Luke.
‘What Do I Know?’ opens with warm, folksy guitar melodies and driving percussion, spotlighting Luke’s raw vocals and candid delivery.
There’s a simplicity to the track that makes it feel like a bedroom pop gem, with sparse instrumentation and leisurely rhythms that are destined for an afternoon daydream.
While this simplicity adds to the tracks carefree energy, Luke adds further texture to the production with melodic guitars and backing harmonies so airy they might touch the heavens.
Later, Luke slows down the tempo for a ballad-like bridge, delivering his most confident vocals yet and ending the tune on a note of melancholy.
Perhaps the track’s major drawcard is its sense of intimacy, helped along by the warmth of the production and Luke’s diaristic storytelling.
Even as the sound grows richer, with wistful chord voicings, jangly tones and ethereal reverb, ‘What Do I Know?’ maintains its personalised feel, as if you’re right there with Luke in the studio.
The upbeat catchiness of ‘What Do I Know?’ belies its otherwise disillusioned lyrics, as Luke sings of existential despair and feeling confused of his place in the world.“
What chance do you stand when life makes no sense?,” he ponders with soul-baring candour, “And the more you think about it well, the harder it gets.”
In pursuit of answers, Luke name-checks philosophers like Jung, Freud and Wittgenstein, saying he’d consult them “if I just had the time.”
The lyrics were born from a difficult time in Luke’s life, with ‘What Do I Know?’ emerging as a catharsis that he’s more than happy for us to join in on.
Listen to Dean Luke’s debut single ‘What Do I Know?’ below.
