Dorothy Shows Us “The Way”
Photo via Dorothy’s website.
In Dorothy’s fourth studio album THE WAY, she’s back with her signature vocals and hard rock. She is once again wrestling with religious themes and what a sober life looks like. THE WAY feels like a continuation of her last album, Gifts From the Holy Ghost. You can tell she’s grown vocally and has heavier instrumentation from the last album. The lyrics on this latest album do feel of a similar caliber.
THE WAY opens with “I COME ALIVE”, with Dorothy vocalizing while string instrumentals start. The track shifts quickly into a hard rock track. This is exactly what you want for an opener: it reels you into Dorothy’s world where she’s fearless and takes no prisoners. It’s everything you could want in a great Dorothy track!
The next track is “THE DEVIL I KNOW”. This is where the album starts focusing on religious overtones. This track feels very personal, especially if you know about Dorothy’s personal life. In 2020, one of her guitar managers almost died of an overdose. That event made her think about her own life and wanting to get sober. She’s been on a sobriety journey and I think this song talks a lot about it. “I know I'm self destructive / And I know my heart can stray.”
Next up is “MUD,” which is a really fun track. There are some screamo parts that are unexpected but really add a new layer. When discussing the album, Dorothy said it would have a country twang to it. This shows in this song and the next track “TOMBSTONE TOWN”. Speaking of that track, it’s probably one of my favorites of the album. Slash features the track and his guitar is exceptional as always. “TOMBSTONE TOWN” is a fun revenge track that leans into the country vibes.
The latter half of the album leans more into the spiritual side of things with tracks like “UNHOLY WATER” and “HAUNTED HOUSE”. You can tell Dorothy is really leaning on her own experiences of death, life, and starting over. In “HAUNTED HOUSE”, she discusses how she feels haunted by her old life and how she’s starting to start anew. She’s trying to outrun her past and understand what moving on means.
“PUTTIN’ OUT THE FIRE” is one of my favorites from this album. It sounds and feels a lot different from the other tracks. The lyrics tell of someone trying to move on from a failing relationship. The couple hurts each other and the singer is tired of being hurt. “Yeah, I'm putting out the fire / 'Cause I can't stand the burn”
The final track “THE WAY” really brings everything home. It’s more stripped down than all the other songs opting for an acoustic guitar. The titular track shows how incredible Dorothy is with her vocals. The loud guitars and drums are fun, but she doesn’t need them to be a musical powerhouse. Lyrically I feel like this is her strongest track. You can feel the worry and hope with every line. “I might need you just the same / It's alright to be afraid / We'll help each other find the way” After everything she has been through, hearing her ask for someone to help her as she finds the path forward is beautifully heartbreaking. In everything going on in the world, it’s a message of finding community and hope despite the difficulties.
All in all, THE WAY is a masterclass in Dorothy’s lyrics and vocals. She’s perfected her sound while still delivering something new. This new chapter shares how she’s moving forward, making peace, while still being her rock-rebellious self. If you were a fan of Miley Cyrus’s Plastic Hearts or Poppy’s newer songs, you should definitely give this new album a listen.
