ALBUM REVIEW: Pessimistic Pizza – My Best Unbeaten Brother

After 10 years, Ben and Adam Parker have returned creating music together with their newest project, MY BEST UNBEATEN BROTHER, and its debut album Pessimistic Pizza. The Parker brothers, alongside bassist Ben Fry, have a long resume of music projects together and separately including names like NOSFERATU D2 and THE SUPERMAN REVENGE SQUAD BAND. The main change over the past decade has been their approach towards life and the need to keep going, which offers a stark contrast to the lyrics they had previously written, and does so in a way that is hopeful yet realistic.

While this record is mostly solid, the opening track, Time On Our Hands, Spider-Man, is a little awkward. While knowing that the line “I’ll be your Spiderman if you’ll be my Superman” is a small nod towards their past, anyone unfamiliar might be a little confused and maybe frustrated given they’re both from different universes. Apart from that you might be a little surprised given the spoken word style if you weren’t expecting it, although, while it works with the rest of the album, in this instance it feels a little clunky and strange sounding due to it having little melody.

But this is the only hiccup as the other tracks are well put together with a solid rhythm and beats where the spoken word style thrives. MY BEST UNBEATEN BROTHER have an uncanny knack for being able to write lyrics that are both silly and serious, going even further by combining the two elements simultaneously as the lyrics navigate the strange world of growing up, maturing and reminiscing on life.

Each song feels like the closing of a difficult chapter and starting with a clean slate. It gives assurance in a way that is honest and human, knowing that each step is never straightforward and is different for everyone. Extraordinary Times brings in bluesy elements and feels powerful and self-reflective when in the face of hardship; The Art Of Letting Go uses moody guitar to look back on childhood bullies where one acknowledges the pain but also becomes aware that they no longer control our lives; and Close-Up Magic is a fast, fun track that on the surface level sounds like the perfect party song yet the lyrics cover a deeper story of finding yourself in a world where you feel like the NPC in someone else’s story.

The main point to take away from Pessimistic Pizza is that life changes; it has its difficulties, but it also has beautiful moments where we thrive and grow, with every story being different. That’s the beautiful part of being human.

Rating: 7/10

Pessimistic Pizza is out now via Audio Antihero Records.

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