From its inception, the band cleopatrick has been all about the DIY ethos and the realignment and redefinition of rock music in youth culture. A band whose motto has been “fuck whatever you think rock music is,” their new single “BAD GUY” certainly encapsulates this. The band says,
“‘BAD GUY’ is supposed to feel like it was recorded, produced, and mixed on a Nintendo Gamecube.”
There is definitely some interesting production, including combinations of low-resolution samples, distorted vocals, and a crunching fuzziness which are used to great effect. The song is busy, but the playful production heightens the song’s themes and nostalgic Y2K aesthetics.
Lyrically, “BAD GUY” relies heavily on the repetition of the title’s lyrics with one verse stuck in the middle: “Take it back, don’t want it anymore / This Judas cup I don’t fill / Karma come in form of open sores / Begged you not to punch the bruise, but you will.” The songwriting is very smart, with repetition not being employed for lack of words, but rather to emphasize the cyclical nature of the themes of guilt, repeating patterns, and the inability to escape these patterns. Overall, the song takes a creative and inventive approach towards rock music which I look forward to hearing more of.
“BAD GUY” is the third single to be released ahead of cleopatrick’s new album, Fake Moon, releasing March 14 via Nowhere Special Recordings and Thirty Tigers distribution.
Watch the “BAD GUY” music video below.
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[…] unconventional production approach for their recent track, “BAD GUY.” The intention, according to the band, was to make it feel like it was entirely made on a Nintendo Gamecube, hence the washed-out and […]