Don't Date Kate!'s SORRY SO SLOPPY Brings 80s Pop, Humor and Storytelling Together

Don't Date Kate!'s SORRY SO SLOPPY is a nine-song album that combines several genres across its 28-minute runtime, with much of its sound being rooted in 1980s pop, synths and retro vocal styles. Their music can be compared to the likes of Billy Joel and Depeche Mode where storytelling is central across the songs’ lyrics, with synths being heavily present in production. Many of the songs focus on relationships and friendships, but the record also makes space for some humour, especially in tracks like Mushroom Man. Playful lyrics are used across the song, along with quirky vocals and echoed effects that give the track a slight science-fiction mystery feel to it. On the other hand, Supernova takes a more upbeat approach to the uncertainty of falling in love without there being any clear plans or reason to. Sparks is a contrast to this as it slows things down with a mysterious opening, poetic lyrics and synth-like instrumental layers that gradually become more noticeable as the song develops. The album follows an interesting pacing in which the BPM starts high, increases and slows down towards the end, making for an overall diverse record.

The Band’s History Behind SORRY SO SLOPPY

Don't Date Kate!'s members are two lifelong friends who began developing their musicianship as teenagers under the direction of Band Director Ron Dickson. His teaching meant that they had to work with multiple different instruments and styles while focusing on commitment, discipline and accuracy as being an integral part of being part of a band. This is why SORRY SO SLOPPY does not fit into just one genre and can be used to explain why some of the songs reference the kind of music style heard in previous decades. The band deliberately uses retro sounds as a way to pay homage to the time they spent studying and enjoying older genres, so the 1980s qualities heard across the album are due to a longer musical interest instead of just being added there as a nostalgic production choice.

Humor and relatability are also two core components in how the duo has approached songwriting across the album. They've written lyrics with the intended aim to bring people joy while creating music that encourages people to dance. This helps to understand why a track like Mushroom Man has a quirky and playful character to it. There are also differences to be noted in their approaches, especially with tracks like Supernova, which focuses more on romantic uncertainty, and the poetic writing in Sparks, which show that humor is a core part of the record, but there's more than that. The duo also writes about familiar emotions such as attraction, doubt and the uncertainty that can come with relationships, using different tempos and lyrical tones to keep those ideas from being presented in the same way each time.

The Stories Across SORRY SO SLOPPY

The relationship-focused writing continues beyond Supernova and Sparks, but each song looks at a different situation. Dream I Hold On To follows someone who is emotionally attached to a person already in another relationship, leaving him unsure whether the future he imagines is realistic or only a fantasy. Mischievous Eyes approaches attraction through exaggeration and humour, using repeated warnings, spoken comments and wordplay to describe someone who lies and plays with people’s feelings. Mosaic is more hopeful, using broken pieces as a metaphor for someone who has been hurt before and is learning to trust again. The song develops that image across its lyrics, connecting emotional damage, friendship and the possibility of falling in love without reducing the idea to a single line.

The later tracks also allow the album to look beyond romantic relationships without losing its focus on recognisable experiences. Sergeant Major centres on military service and the responsibility of protecting others, while Wave Riders treats the radio as a source of comfort during moments of loneliness and connects that feeling to the hope of writing songs that may one day reach somebody else. Once Upon closes the album with its shortest story, following a man who has little except faith before a woman restores his hope by making him laugh. These songs expand the subjects covered across the tracklist through military duty, the personal importance of music and the effect a simple moment of humour can have on someone who feels discouraged.