DJDS (formerly DJ Dodger Stadium) excel at emotional house anthems. Their underrated debut, Friend of Mine was the rare dance album that worked perfectly front to back. Their latest, and first under the shortened moniker, Stand Up and Speak, is another killer set of dancefloor bangers. “You Don’t Have to be Alone” is the best of the bunch, as the title’s repetition is spoken less out of pity than as a welcoming call for those to get lost in the club. I’m not gonna lie, this tune brings me back to when I first moved out West, was living in a closet-sized room, sleeping on a twin bed, and going to bars and shows alone. It was bleak, people. Listening to this now, in a much better place, I still get a little teary-eyed. If someone ever makes the foolish decision to book me as a club DJ, there is no doubt I would blast this at 2AM.
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