Bobby Edge continues his onslaught of creative new music. In 2023 his debut album was a 1960s influenced surf-rock and doo-wop punk album that blew me away. A year later, in 2024, he dropped an EP with 5 more tracks that felt a little more surf rock and punk, but still kept a lot of the R&B and doo-wop vibes. His lyrics are biting and cynical, often satire. He often takes a theme and turns it on its head- taking love song themes or upbeat songs, and songs in traditional 1960s songs and, with clever wordplay, makes the song into something much darker, and more relevant to the world we live in – like turning Endless Summer into “Endless Suffer”, or “Calamity of Now”. So, as Bobby Edge does for the third year in a row, we once again have new music. For now, it’s just a single, but I am eager to find out exactly what he has in store. The song title alone is enough to hint that a cheery disposition and optimism haven’t tainted our beloved songwriter.
The song starts off with a bit of a surf rock type rhythm, and feels a little Beach Boys-ish, but the tone is down and it feels like a red herring. I feel like I’m waiting for a record to scratch and lead me to something else, and while there is no record scratch, we definitely get something else. The song abruptly shifts into a heavier distortion punk rock track that feels more akin to the Misfits or Dead Kennedys than to the Beach Boys or any doo-wop bands.
The song feels inherently more political than most of the other songs- a growing disconnect, collective discontent, references to a climate crisis and class consciousness. While none of these things are directly spoken of, there are lyrics suggesting them all. I know I have a tendency to read lyrics in a way that is shaped by my own feelings and experiences, but this song hits all the right notes. There’s a reference to a loaded .45, and it may feel like a stretch, but even that feels like it’s not just talking about a firearm, but a different loaded 45 as well.
After the verse, it drifts back into a more surf rock tone, with a creepy whispered lyric “there’s not a single way out” that repeats, causing some unease, before the distortion comes in hard and the lyric “smile for the camera” is repeated almost maniacally, growing more commanding as the doubled vocal track doesn’t match the tone, causing even more unease before the lyric is whispered, the guitars warp and the distortion gets even heavier. The effect of this is exactly as intended, aND it’s powerful.
After the verse repeats, the tempo slows down, the distortion drops out, and there is an interlude, of sorts, as the rhythm is left to carry the story and we hear the singer address an audience- welcoming them directly, except the audience feels like it’s a dinner party or a fundraiser, and the band is the paid entertainment. A few comments are made, including one about microplastics, and the audience claps like it was a toast by the best man at a wedding. He then proceeds to tell the subject of the monolog a son of a bitch, followed by a very poignant “Get Fucked” before the music swells and we are back in the distorted punk rock anthem that is “Get Fucked, Buttercup”.
Honestly, I fucking love this song. It plays on so many different themes. It’s definitely open to interpretation, and I gave you mine, but realize that it’s a reflection of my consciousness that forced me to interpret the song this way. The distortion and aggressiveness of the song, the layering of vocals add to the unease (at times the back track is screamed but quieter, adding a sense of panic). It feels like every trick was brought out for a specific purpose, and it did its job. Even the surf rock parts feel like they are designed to make you feel at ease and relaxed, like everything is fine and good, in order to make the distortion more powerful. Don’t sit back. Don’t relax. Don’t let the world fall apart around you. Make yourself uncomfortable. Do your part in making sure that loaded 45 gets fucked.
Written by Gimpleg
