Brooklyn’s favorite brainy art-punk rockin’ maniacs are back, and BODEGA is rippin up the ole format and wiping out some guitar riffage with “All Inside Aquarium“. What the fuck does that mean…. well… on this release, they are taking a break from the minimalist, ultra-snarky post-punk songs they have been doing for what seems like forever and putting the pedal to the metal of their new 90s alt-rock muscle car, tearing up the streets of this musical highway leading straight into my fucking head. Words from their vocalist/guitarist Ben Hozie (also check out the movie he wrote and directed called PVT Chat, which I think is streaming on Tubi and Fandango for free rn or even Ben’s podcast called ATM: Bodega At This Moment which is also pretty cool), who said that this album’s vibe is a cross between The Stone Roses and Jane’s Addiction, with additional riffs, guitar solos, and rockin’ in the early Lollapalooza-era alternative rock sound. (Well, I’m personally not a big fan of Jane’s Addiction… but give me that Stone Roses or Charlatans sound and I’ll usually show up and give that album a listen). This 12-track record Hulk smashes together fuzzy power chords, dual-lead vocal banter with both Ben & Nikki Belfiglio, whose vocal harmonies fucking rule, and poppy, punchy, groove-oriented rock that will get your booty moving, and you basically can’t help but sing along… it’s fucking catchy as hell. The way it’s been in the world lately… these are the songs I needed to help me get off the ground…. well… that and the blue wave. That kicked ass.
As always, I pick out a few songs from each release that stand out to me on the first couple of listens. This album is full of great songs, so it was really hard for me to narrow this short list down, but here I go. First one up, “Weather Me” is a nice little danceable, poppy alt-rockin’ song that had me bouncing around the Cactus Club green room while I was doing the mid-afternoon cleanup today. Perfect pick to be one of their lead-up singles for this album’s release. Next up…. “Astro Night Ride”, nice little melodic guitar drivin’ power-pop kinda hook-a-thon that keeps ya going especially when those drums kick in… and then you feel the cool glide of everything like riding your bike at night and finally letting go of the handlebars and feel the wind hit your body …. kinda like you’re flying. Great feel-good song with so many time-signature changes to keep your mind busy and ears happy. Lastly…. “Combustible” is a fucking sing-a-long song right here… this is the one that has me coming back multiple times and playing it when I was sweeping and mopping the club after Sweeping Promises played that night. Great fucking song.
If you’ve never heard of BODEGA… well, you either just suck or have been living under a rock for about 12 years. ‘All Inside Aquarium‘ is their fourth full-length release… and for real… this one has them at the top of their game (even though their harder-edged “punk” album ‘Rot In Helvetica‘ as NODEGA is still high on my list) and is a fun transition from their previous work. Check out this release and give it a spin if you want some fun guitar-driven alt-rock with a bit of pop edge. I like fun… you like fun… so be fun.
Links of interest:
https://www.instagram.com/bodegabk/
https://bodegabk.bandcamp.com/album/all-inside-aquarium
https://chrysalis-records.com/release/602175-bodega-all-inside-aquarium
https://bodega.lnk.to/AIA
