ALBUM REVIEW: Our Brand Could Be Yr Life – Bodega
It seems nowadays that reboots have become a part of our culture. Just look toward Hollywood and it’s clear to see not only that the film industry out of ideas but perhaps that all the best ideas have already been done in some form. This can’t usually be said for the music industry, but BODEGA have described their new album Our Brand Could Be Yr Life as a reboot of sorts. First written eight years ago, it’s been edited and changed since and is finally ready to be shared with the world.
Dedicated To The Dedicated opens the album with a simple guitar part with a scrappy sort of effect and the vocals are pretty much the same with a driving force behind them rather than going for a flashy over-the-top theatrical effect which pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the album. It’s anti-conventional and certainly not conformist but still has a style to it that makes it sound “in” right now.
G.N.D Deity keeps with that driving feel this time with the female vocals creating a whole new dimension. With its powerful lyrics from the eyes of a sex worker, this song grapples with the band’s fascination with the convergence between sex and current technology. It’s fiction but it’s still relevant. Going into Bodega Bait this track is a little heavier with such a thick texture. The vocals are pretty much the same throughout and don’t explore too much but that’s really not a problem because what is there is powerful as it works like a commercial. It’s clear that it’s satire however with the band just poking fun at consumerist culture.
Tarkovski is up next and the main thing is the instrumentation with the guitar parts using heavy effects but it’s perfect as it captures the feeling the band were going for which is a more mature sound but still with a touch of fun and with indie-vibes running throughout. The jangly guitar parts run all throughout and the vocals are more grounded which creates an interesting contrast. Stain Gaze is a great track. Starting with whining guitars and a scrappy drum beat, this track is a little rawer than some of the others. Produced that way the vocals are more relaxed as if just thrown out on top of the headbanging beat. It seems a little post-punk influenced as it sits somewhere in between punk, rock, pop, and maybe a little stoner rock too for fun.
ATM takes a look at how transactional we’ve all become and the band use this as a metaphor for how we no longer look at things for what they are and how we all just think about what we can get out of anything and everything and if it’s worth it. Although this track doesn’t sound it, it is dark and shows a harrowing truth of a really awful truth of the way society is right now. Protean is a little more laid back as it’s very easygoing. There’s not too much going on but that’s not to say it’s dull as it’s just a really likable track. It doesn’t get too heavy nor are the lyrics full of darkness but it’s just fun really. Not too long, not too short – it’s a great addition to the album. Following it is Born Into What Consumes, which is also slower and more dreamlike but with a sort of swelling feeling as the song builds but never boils over. It works as an intro to the next tracks on the album.
Cultural Consumer I, II and III are all separate tracks but do lead into one another each with a little different vibe. The first is a dreamy theatrical song with the track building and crashing throughout. The second then picks up with more rhythm and more distinct instrumentation on the guitar parts and in the bass. The vocals are more driven as well. The third is a more straight-up fun indie track. It’s got an inspirational feel and a feel-good hook at its core although the song masks the dark side of this as it’s all about consumer culture. The band has used this character named cultural consumer and the idea is as they state that this guy has envisioned a truly great life for himself where he would change the world and by the third track, he’s gone to the airport to embark on a wellness retreat but really at its core he’s just buying things and not doing much else and it’s all meaningless. It’s this storytelling that really gives this album just that little bit of extra magic.
City Is Taken ends the album and it’s a good track to end on as it brings together everything BODEGA are about which is just good music and not too many frills. There are some great drum fills that really help build the song up. There’s not a whole lot to say about it rather than it is the perfect ending to this album.
Our Brand Could Be Yr Life is a pretty good album all over. There are some skip-over tracks or mid-level tracks but the band makes up for it as this album is longer than standard so there’s plenty to choose from. It’s hard to say if BODEGA belong in any particular genre as this album feels like a mashup and they show a lot of variation in their tracks. All in all it’s a mixed bag but what matters is that it’s a good album.
Rating: 7/10
Our Brand Could Be Yr Life is set for release on April 12th via Chrysalis Records.
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