Bodega – ‘Our Brand Could Be Yr Life’ album review: an uncompromising exploration of consumerism
THE SKINNY: The cultural landscape of New York City has something of a legendary status among artists and musicians. After spawning the careers of various iconic figures, from Bob Dylan to the Beastie Boys, it seems as though many modern Big Apple bands think they have a right to success simply as a result of coming from one of the five boroughs. The sad reality is that the music scene of New York has been of diminishing returns since the days of Patti Smith and CBGBs, yet every now and then, a new group will arise to carry on the storied legacy of musical excellence in NYC. The latest in that lineage are Brooklyn-based post-punks Bodega.
Our Brand Could Be Yr Life follows on from 2022’s Broken Equipment. While not a complete departure from their earlier work, this album is certainly their most mature and diverse project to date. Interestingly, many of the tracks on the album were actually written years ago, during the days of Bodega Bay – the precursor to the formation of Bodega. In truth, it is difficult to identify which of the tracks were written back then and which are entirely new compositions, which speaks to the incredible songwriting abilities of artists like Ben Hozie and Nikki Belfiglio.
For those of you who have been following Bodega since their 2018 debut, this new album may come as something of a surprise. From the get-go, the group have built their sound around conformational, uncompromising and intense tracks. This no-frills punk attitude formed a not-insignificant part of the band’s appeal, yet Our Brand Could Be Yr Life attempts to move away from that style, offering more breathing room within the tracks in the form of guitar breaks and mellow vocal performances. Admittedly, though, this change in direction is rarely a cause of concern when listening to the record – they are still the same Bodega, with anti-consumerist lyrics and hard-hitting themes, just with a few more moments to catch your breath.
There is no doubt that Our Brand Could Be Yr Life is the band’s masterpiece; it is the culmination of everything they have been trying to perfect over the past seven years. For all the added subtlety, guitar breaks and dulcet vocals, everything that makes Bodega such an exciting group is still there. During our recent chat with Ben Hozie, he reaffirmed his desire to have pop songs “mean something”, and every single track on Our Brand Could Be Yr Life means something, though it might take you a few listens to figure out exactly what.
For fans of: Reading Noam Chomsky in an independent coffee shop, but with fun shoes on.
A concluding comment from the ghost of Lou Reed: “If I’d have realised art school kids would still be trying to follow in my footsteps all these years later, I wouldn’t have bothered starting that goddamn band.”
Our Brand Could Be Yr Life track-by-track:
Release Date: April 12th | Producer: Ben Hozie | Label: Chrysalis Records
‘Dedicated To The Dedicated’: This is not the adrenaline-fuelled Bodega opening track we have been accustomed to, but it doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. Hozie’s admirable vocals make all those years of shouting seem a little redundant. [4.5/5]
‘G.N.D. Deity’: Provides a wonderful introduction to Nikki as a joint leader on this album, although it perhaps lacks the same impact as the opener. The electronic voice which opens the song is a fun callback to their previous work, too. [4/5]
‘Bodega Bait’: If you had to concentrate the manifesto of Bodega, both lyrically and musically, into one piece, this would be that song. [5/5]
‘Tarkovski’: A stand-out track from the album, and perhaps one of the band’s most accessible works – evoking a similar atmosphere to the likes of ‘Statuette on the Console’ from their previous album. [4.5/5]
‘Major Amberson’: An endearing vocal performance from Hozie, but otherwise, the instrumentation and lyrical content of this track feel lacking in substance in comparison to the rest of the album. Viewed individually, it is far from being a bad piece, but within the context of the album, it gets a bit lost. [3/5]
‘Stain Gaze’: Evoking sounds of 1990s alternative and slacker rock, this song is a fairly enjoyable effort, though it often leaves you yearning for it to go somewhere that it never really does. [3.5/5]
‘Webster Hall’: A meta, self-referential track which, admittedly, took a few listens to grow on you. Nikki’s verses tend to form the more enjoyable parts of the song. [3/5]
‘ATM’: After a few mellow tracks, Bodega are back to their punk-influenced anti-consumerist confrontation, and it is just as compelling and beautiful as ever. Adam See’s basslines are excellent throughout the album, but this is perhaps his finest moment. [4.5/5]
‘Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Drum’: Admittedly, ahead of this album, I was worried about the setback that the departure of Tai Lee might cause, given how incredible she was behind the sticks. Thankfully, this track is proof – if needed – that Adam Shumski is more than capable of filling those shoes. [4/5]
‘Protean’: The instrumentation of this is very old-school, in terms of 1960s-inspired guitar and simple structure, but it is contrasted excellently with a recurring synth effect. Regardless, ultimately, the lyrics are the highlight of this track. [3.5/5]
‘Born Into By What Consumes’: When you see a 75-second track on a Bodega album, you probably assume it’ll be a sonic assault akin to ‘I Am Not A Cinephile’, but that could not be further from the truth on this song – showing the change in sound that this album represents. [3.5/5]
‘Cultural Consumer I’: The trilogy of ‘Cultural Consumer’ on this album could easily have been released as a standalone EP, they are Bodega’s magnum opus, and the first instalment sets the next two up beautifully. [5/5]
‘Cultural Consumer II’: Admittedly, the musical backing of this song is not particularly noteworthy, but the lyrical content more than makes up for that loss. Contains some of the finest lyrics ever penned by the group. [4.5/5]
‘Cultural Consumer III’: The final instalment in a trilogy is never usually the greatest, but then Bodega are not a usual band. This is maybe the greatest song from across the album, helped along by the riffs of Dan Ryan. [5/5]
‘City Is Taken’: Most bands would end their record with a succinct and non-consequential tying-together of ideas, but, as we have established, Bodega are not ‘most bands’. This stunning indictment of gentrification is firmly up there among their best tracks from across their discography. [5/5]
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