“Too Strange for the Circus” by Debbii Dawson is a pleasing non-genre work that incorporates elements from a variety of sources. The rising star in country-pop music has treated fans to a brand-new CD that features an incredibly inventive assortment of sounds. Beneath a sharp drum beat, a seductive bass line firmly plods, engaging in a lighthearted percussion dialogue. Dawson’s voice, however, is a musical instrument unto itself, effortlessly navigating vocal alterations in range and pitch. Her speech has an expressive country twang that counterbalances the breeziness that permeates her entire sound.
The environment is swept by currents of backing vocalists, with her voice at the heart of the mix. In order to highlight specific lyrics, they prod rhythmically in some lines and lilt with a smooth indifference in others. In “Too Strange for the Circus,” Dawson talks on that all-too-common loneliness that comes from feeling like you’re just a little bit too far out of everyone else’s social circle. She dances around a metaphor of space, “I’m too deep for the surface / too human for Mars / too strange for the circus,” sinking into the weightlessness of the emotion. “Too Strange for the Circus” is a pop-country victory of perspective that comes after Dawson’s most recent EP, Learning. Through this effort, Dawson’s carefully defined voice and musical personality were made known to the public. She transitions between sophisticated orchestral compositions and catchy choruses with ease. We can now see a glimpse of a more independent terrain, experimenting with electronic sounds and production space, thanks to “Too Strange for the Circus.” With a blend of pop, country, and everything in between, Dawson’s latest album offers an exciting preview of what’s to come. It’s an achingly relatable banger.
English