Lyrically, vocalist Ella Harris adopts a haunting, spoken-word delivery reminiscent of artists like Florence Shaw (Dry Cleaning) or Jenny Hval. The song explores a specific, heavy theme: the internal world of a new father.
"Bad Dad" fits perfectly into the thematic arc of their debut album, Blush . While tracks like "Untethered" celebrate release and transition, "Bad Dad" and "Hero Man" dive into the darker, more "nightmarish" aspects of identity and societal norms. Album Review: PVA - 'Blush' - When The Horn Blows
Harris performs from the perspective of a man checking on his son at night, grappling with a "beast of a man" identity.
Lineage and Liminality: Unpacking PVA’s "Bad Dad" In the landscape of modern electronic music, few tracks manage to be as danceable yet deeply unsettling as by the London trio PVA . Released in August 2022 as a lead single for their debut album Blush , the song has become a standout piece of "body music" that demands both physical movement and emotional introspection. The Sound of Anxiety
The core of the track is an interrogation of the lineage of masculinity . It explores the fear of how traditional, often toxic, masculine traits might inadvertently impact a child who is still "untainted".
