This one is for the younger ones, or those who just have an adventurous and diverse taste in music. In other words, this Giack Bazz record may or may not perk everyone’s ears up due to its vibe being completely unusual in the best possible way; this is me trying to be unbiased, but as a regular consumer of all things indie, this is an amazing album.
Based solely on first impressions, “Bedtime Stories for Computers” comprising sixteen tracks has something for everyone to enjoy. It maintains its ‘brand’ with the opening track “BSFC”, which is mainly static-instrumental to start the whole album off. Followed by “The Moon Is Painted” which retains a techy, static vibe from a notable broken guitar part during a transition to a verse. Yes, that specific part deserves recognition in some way – it is truly creative.
Speaking of instrumentals, there are a couple more instrumentals scattered in-between songs, each of which being unique in its own way. There is “Elektro”, a catchy interlude that lasts for around a minute, “Cookie Police”, “Future RAM”, “Machine Hymnal” which is pretty much Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ – and they don’t seem to hide it either, it’s a matter of aesthetic which fits the record’s vibe just right, and “Earthed”, which takes the ambience back to its glitchy, ‘technical error’ ways. Interludes are always fun to catch in an album, because you don’t get to see them that often, especially in releases nowadays. The fact that Giack Bazz has multiple of them is admirable, and personally makes me want to delve deeper into their other works just by how dedicated they seem to put out these tunes.
If you’re new to the indie scene, this record is no different; it is diverse, but at the same time it stays true to what they intend for what every track to sound like. One crucial reason why this review opened with a special mention to the younger generation of today is because of what the record tackles. It talks about topics mainly correlated to coming of age, with lyrics such as “Everything is a chore, I don’t care anymore” from “Who Am I Doing This For? (Reprise)”, and “No new direction, ‘cause I wanna have fun / I’ll be better than before, just leave an open door” from “No Direction”. The fifteenth track is even named “Generation Z”, which has the potential to become the anthem of said generation, with its catchy and easy-to-remember melodies. And, track twelve is titled “Only Fans” which, well, is self-explanatory, not to mention very timely.
“Funny Days” deserves a spotlight of its own. It starts calm, with acoustic tones, but then you are guaranteed to get hooked on the chorus, then it somehow fits in an unexpected solo. It encapsulates a whole generation, for sure – and it definitely sounds fun.
The album also ‘takes breaks’ from all the upbeatness of almost all the tracks, not to say that these ones don’t deserve the same recognition like the ones mentioned first – it just shows its variety by categorizing songs with plain piano and those with full-on distortion guitars. “I Don’t Do Breakup Songs (But You Do What You Like)” is one of those songs, as well as “Buster Friendly”.
“A Whole Life Ago” sounds just like your average 2000s single. But, it’s distinctively Giack Bazz’, despite how familiar it is to the iconic anthems of the 21st century. “Get Together” ends the record nicely, leaving you satisfied or eager to rewind the whole thing again, either to recommend to your friends or turn up during a road trip.
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About the Author
Kate Clarice Lee is a psychology major in Ateneo de Naga University with a knack for music and writing. She takes interest in playing guitar, poetry, creative writing, and lyrics that—subjectively—hit close to home. Kate mostly enjoys indie, alternative, pop & punk rock music.
