Canada's post-punk/darkwave act Jay Draper & The Subterraneans has released its long-awaited second album, Dollhouse. This dollhouse is no Barbie dreamhouse, though. Its walls house stories of drama, sorrow, and existential dread. Enter at your own risk.
A showcase of Draper's penchant for stories of tragic figures, Dollhouse is an exploration of the outer limits of human existence. An artificial lover, built to please, rebels against her master with an impulse to murder, then ponders her place in the world and the implications of her new freedom. A damned soul makes a home out of his place in hell and finds love, or is it just another twist to his eternal torment? A man finds himself at the borderland between somewhere and nowhere, being someone and no one, where he is seduced at every turn by alcohol, lust, and an urge to drown in his disillusionment. Dollhouse finds Draper working with a host of guest musicians and producers, both old and new, from fellow The Scarlet Fever band members and collaborators, like Cat Samuels (also of L'autre Dame) and drummer Chris Woodacre, to new allies like producers and songwriters Chris Jensen of Poor Violet and Ursule Marion of goth duo SU.
In 2018, Toronto singer/songwriter Jay Draper of The Scarlet Fever joined forces with former Amy's Arms guitarist and touring bassist for Sex Gang Children, Justin Minister, to form the studio side project Jay Draper & The Subterraneans. After toiling away in the underground studios of Toronto for what felt like aeons and many collaborations with talented guest musicians for the local scene, The Subterraneans finally emerged from the depths to birth their primordial statement, Behind The Night (2021). Since the release of Behind The Night, Draper has gone his own way with the project and released a couple of singles - including an animated music video for the Jean-Paul Sartre-in spired song, "No Exit", as well as his distortion of the classic 1984 pop song, "Self Control" (as popularised by Laura Branigan) - while working little by little on his next full-length statement. Well, that statement is finally here; welcome to Dollhouse. Link
JAY DRAPER & THE SUBTERRANEANS - Dollhouse Open Now
- Details
- Written by: Jerneja
Related articles
-
WEDNESDAY 13 - Returns With Venomous Live Take On “I Want You Dead”
US horror‑punk/gothic/glam‑metal icon Wednesday 13 delivers the second electrifying preview from his forthcoming live album Un‑Alive From Pol’and’Rock 2025, due out 25 September via... -
KONVENT - Offers New Glimpse Into Upcoming Album Firesky
Danish doom/death metal quartet Konvent has released "Firesky", the second single and title track from its forthcoming third studio album, Firesky, due out on 6 November via Napalm Records. -
MAGEC - Showcases "Dissonant Coexistence"
Tenerife‑based doom/death metal outfit Magec present "Dissonant Coexistence", the first cut from their forthcoming musical chapter — a release that signals a new phase in the group's... -
DEATH SS - Unleashes "Pandemonium", Heralding Their Approaching 50th Anniversary In 2027
Italian horror metal pioneers Death SS present their brand‑new single, "Pandemonium", a fierce and symbolic new work that opens a fresh chapter in the act's long and influential history...
-
DUCTAPE
"When you feel something you need to share, creating songs is the best way to do it. You can reflect on yourself so that you can relax and be relieved of that emotion." - Çağla Güleray -
IRDORATH
"They wrote that we wanted to influence people's minds with our bagpipes so that they would be willing to attack the police." - Irdorath -
IAMX
"It's my kind of duty to provoke people and to make sure they feel something — to dance, cry, do whatever they feel. I do motivate them, because that's my purpose." - Chris Corner -
BLAZING ETERNITY
"There's much more detail in our music now than 20 years ago. It's also much easier nowadays because you can do many things at home." - Morten Lybecker
Copyright © All Rights Reserved. Powered by Terra Relicta


