Album Review: Bodega - 'Our Brand Could Be Yr Life'
BODEGA return with ambitious indie record which throws us back to their roots.
New York City’s most extravagant indie group is back with a 15 song album, their 3rd full-length album since their revival in 2018, when their debut release Endless Scroll made an instant impression amongst the indie and art-punk fanbase.
Composed of longtime members Ben Hozie (vocals,guitar), and Nikki Belfiglio (vocals), the group has a fresh rotation of members who worked on this release, including Dan Ryan on guitars, Adam See on bass, and Adam Shumski on percussion.
The idea that inspired Our Brand Could Be Yr Life was to take old compositions that the group had written over eight years ago, which were released when they were known as BODEGA BAY. The 33-song double album was recorded mostly with a MacBook microphone, and never saw the light of day outside of their hometown in Bushwick.
The reworked material on their newest record could not feel more opposite than this, as the top production along with meticulous playing makes this a much cleaner, smoother listen, even through the heavier sections of the record.
A thrilling joyride through various subgenres of indie-rock, it feels as though every song has its own sound. Hints of dance-punk, shoegaze, slacker-rock and even pop-rock surface throughout this record.
Lyrically this record stands out as Belfiglio and Hozie take on innovative, dazzling themes. The song “ATM”, for example, takes on the term of “standing reserve”, which is people’s inclination to treat everything and everyone as a means to an end.
On “G.N.D”, a song which lyrically takes the perspective of a fictional sex-worker, the intoxicating use of harmonics in the chorus along with Belfiglio’s electrifying vocals frames the new exciting direction which the group sonically takes off to throughout this record.
Our Brand Could Be Yr Life really feels like a raw, unadulterated piece of early 2010’s pop punk which is moulded and perfected for the 2020’s, a sound which will keep you hooked from start to finish.
Out on April 12th through Chrysalis Records, all listeners of pop-punk or pop-rock will surely want to give this a spin or two. BODEGA are also playing four dates in the UK next month, if you’re looking to catch one of their spirited live performances.
Words by Jay Cohen
