Los Angeles-based alt-rock band Badflower recently released their new single '30' on July 17, 2020 which also happened to be their frontman Josh Katz’s 30th birthday. The band is also comprised of Joey Morrow on lead guitar, Alex Espiritu playing bass, and Anthony Sonetti on the drums. This is the band's first released single following their debut album OK, I’m Sick which was brought to fans in February of 2019.
Katz’s vocals bring in the track after a short distorted guitar intro with the lyrics “I’m nervous, so nervous / I overeat, I lack purpose” which brings the listener quickly up to speed to the fact that this is a “coming of age” kind of song. The lyrics continue to expose various struggles that not only the singer, but every millennial and gen z citizen, are facing while growing up in the turmoil of the 21st century. Living lives that especially now are mostly online presents an array of new obstacles that previous generations could never fathom. Not only are people bombarded with expectations and presenting only the highlight reel of their lives, there is an onslaught of new information being presented at break-neck pace in an ever changing online world.
Something interesting about this song is that it doesn’t have a chorus in the traditional sense. There aren’t any repeating lines bound on either side by verses. Instead, there is a guitar riff that repeats through otherwise dead space where there would typically be a vocal chorus. Each phrase of the song carries different lyrics with nothing ever really repeating other than the line “This is thirty” at the end of verses. However having no kind of vocal chorus, it drives the listener to really pay attention to each line and take in new information with each passing verse. It’s not the standard song format and that speaks to the band pushing the boundaries of what it means to be “normal” in this time we’re living in.
"Living lives that especially now are mostly online presents an array of new obstacles that previous generations could never fathom. Not only are people bombarded with expectations and presenting only the highlight reel of their lives, there is an onslaught of new information being presented at break-neck pace in an ever changing online world."
Not only is the band showing what it’s like to simply grow up during this time, but they hint at the ever changing realm of political correctness with “So raise your glasses to going out of fashion / To acronyms, sex cams, and social distractions,” noting that not only are people today faced with living lives on the internet but also with struggling to sift through information and attempting to pick sides based on a slew of falsities and blatant lies meant to confuse and manipulate the general public.
The line “I miss when everything was simple” really brings home the idea that we are living in a time facing new challenges that those who grew up before the age of the world wide web know nothing about. There are new battles to be fought and sides picked and “cancelled” instead of just being able to talk to friends on the phone or go outside to play until the street lights came on and it was time to go home.
Badflower's '30' brings to light modern day song structure to depict a modern day coming of age. It will be interesting to see how singles following this release relate to it, and if they will fit together with a potential upcoming album release as well.
You can stream '30' on whatever streaming platform you prefer, and follow the band on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.
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