Single Review: “El Dorado” by Artschool
So much of our lives is spent chasing wealth and glory that we often miss the abundance already surrounding our world. The beauty of the universe embraces us. The strength of connection sustains us. The calm of stillness steers us. It’s all around, embedded in the grandeur of nature shaped by endless eons and etched into man-made constructs born of generations of thought and craft. Yet we’re distracted from it all. Mislead in some ways, debased in others. We’re told to appreciate the nice weather while our societal systems continue to chip away at it. We’re directed to enjoy art and culture while consuming in acceptably gluttonous ways. And we’re instructed to find what we love to do in this world… only if it’s commercially sound.
Even the most significant technological advancements are not marveled at or admired. They’re monetized. Weaponized. Sapping the true wonder of achievement away in order to raise a stock or bolster personal might. What could inspire awe and collective progress instead becomes another tool in the endless pursuit of dominance and profit, leaving us blind to the miracle of what has actually been created. It’s nothing new for a world that basked in the sensation of exploration centuries ago, only to look for ways to exploit and conquer immediately. No sooner had civilized men arrived on a new world than they sought to plunder, chasing down tales of gold-plated settlements while ignoring the shining splendor that was newly discovered.
If such a place even existed, why should it be worthy of us? Fit for a people who has repeatedly prioritized the carefree whim of the present over the sustained radiance of the eternal. This is the central thought of “El Dorado,” the latest track from Richmond punk band Artschool that rightfully calls out how the pursuit of paradise only poisons its purpose. How prosperity only comes at the plight of plenitude. How power only comes through the perversion of peace.
“I’ve been to El Dorado\ Won’t say what I’ve seen\ Cause you’d go down\ Sack the town\ Take what’s good and green,” frontman Griffin Smalley states at the song’s opening, delivered through a thick haze of musical contempt and rhythmic vigor. Originally penned as a folk tune in the vein of Woody Guthrie while Smalley worked on a farm in France, the track has since evolved into a living, breathing force within Artschool’s catalog. Verses shift to match the energy of each performance, yet the song remains unwavering in its mission: to eviscerate the disposable, extractive world humanity has built around itself.
In a live setting, “El Dorado” has been a cornerstone of Artschool’s repertoire for years, a chaotic mania driven by the song’s stammering chorus (“I’ve been to\ I’ve been to\ El Dorado“). On this new recording, however, the track takes on a more deliberate feel, like a march emerging from the fog of indoctrination, led with striking conviction by the band. Recorded and produced by Evan Solomon of Richmond’s Dayfiction, the song represents a significant step up from Artschool’s previous singles–“Outlaw To Myself” and “It Takes A Toll” in late 2024 and “I Didn’t Vote In Rafah” in early 2025–while further solidifying the band’s reach beyond the bounds of first-wave punk hysteria. It’s an evolution that matches the most iconic bands from that time, while modernizing itself to the sounds and cries of our current time.
Later in the song, Smalley delivers a line that cuts sharply, aimed as much inward as outward: “Waste away all your life\ Looking for treasure.” Simple yet devastating, like the brutal sting of a cut from the thinnest piece of paper, it reveals the true breadth of “El Dorado”‘s power. It’s a song for the grand scale and the personal, examining how we participate in a world we critique. How listening to this song on a corrupt streaming platform enables both an activist message and a corporate gain. How reading these principled words on a smartphone or computer, mass-produced products of questionable labor, simultaneously supports independent media and conglomerate power.
It’s a quandary that leaves many to throw their hands up in defeat, a struggle even the Dust Bowl Troubadour faced nearly a century ago. Perhaps that dilemma is unsolvable, but that doesn’t stop the cause. The person reading this article. The person writing these words. The person singing this anthem. None of us are perfect. Yet by holding ourselves collectively to higher standards, we will move closer to the idealized promise enshrined in our most cherished texts and beliefs. That striving lies at the vibrant heart of “El Dorado,” giving it its power and urgency, whether in the band’s frenetic live performances or this remarkable studio recording. In all, another powerful affirmation of Artschool’s moving artistry.
“El Dorado” is available to stream on all major platforms. You can catch Artschool in concert next at The Auricular‘s seventh anniversary party on Friday, September 26 at The Camel where they will be joined by Bucko, Flora & The Fauna, and The Potted Plants. For more information on that show, click here. To stay up-to-date with the band, make sure to follow them on social media.
