ALBUM REVIEW: Anti-Fun Propaganda – Gen And The Degenerates
The state of the world is a pretty good place to write from when songwriting but it has been done time and time again at this point. However, it hasn’t been done the way GEN AND THE DEGENERATES do it on their debut album Anti-Fun Propaganda, which presents a modern take on the overdone trope and makes for such a good time.
The album kicks off with Kids Wanna Dance. It feels like a stream of consciousness making witty but brutally honest observations about life, death, and the current state of the world at the moment. From the get-go, this band show that they mean business and this isn’t some over-saturated sonic punk band. With heavy instrumentation throughout the choruses, this track is chaotic and brutal. Following it is Girls! which is a more tongue-in-cheek track that celebrates the quirks girls have and adds a queer slant for fun. The vocals are powerful on this track and they’re matched by the roaring guitars that feature pretty much the whole way through.
The title track has more of a straight-up punk rock vibe with simpler instrumentation and more of an anthemic section. It’s rebellious in true punk fashion and refuses to conform to societal norms and it is just glorious. That’s Enough Internet For Today is a song title everyone can get behind. It’s a commentary on how absurd the internet and social media in general really is. It’s saying take a break, it’s insane and this kind of retrospective look is something this band does well. Although this is still a debut album it feels like this is going to be a trademark of theirs.
All Figured Out is one of the strongest points on the album. It’s about wanting a stable domestic life. It caters maybe more toward older fans but is still relatable to everyone. Especially when Gen sings “I just wanna have it all figured out now” which is so simple but so relatable to anyone listening as at this point it’s clear: no one has it figured out. Big Hit Single is more of a spoken word track that is full of satire. It’s about the demanding music industry and how the band feels they have to write hit singles rather than what they want to write. It’s a powerful statement and it’s got that rebellious punk spirit behind it. This leads into Post-Cool well as this track is more spoken word too but it feels a little darker and more dreamlike. It’s about not chasing whatever trend is big right now and how the term “cool” really is dead at this point. This track blends instrumentation with more digital effects than the other tracks and this works well as it gives it more of a modern feel rather than just another generic band with nothing else going on except the raw instruments.
Jude’s Song is arguably the strongest track on the album. At six minutes long it reworks the famous BEATLES track but it’s certainly not a remake. It’s a tribute to Gen’s late aunt Jude and it’s soft but theatrical as the track works in two halves with the first being Gen talking to Jude and the second being a celebration. It’s such a huge track and it is undeniably beautiful. The final lines of the song “I’m glad that for a while we were alive at the same time” pack a punch as almost everyone can relate and that line seems to hang long after the track is over and excellently closes the album.
Anti-Fun Propaganda is one of those debut albums that has a lot of promise for GEN AND THE DEGENERATES. They certainly deliver on a promise of good music and the future is only looking bright for them. This album is a great foundation that the band can hopefully build on and elevate on their future releases, but it is also excellent in its own right for now.
Rating: 8/10
Anti-Fun Propaganda is set for release on February 23rd via Marshall Records.
Like GEN AND THE DEGENERATES on Facebook.