Self Checkout is the engaging new album from Barcode Angels, a band formed in Brooklyn. The highlights are abundant, ranging from the bass-heavy intrigue and piano-laden hookiness of “Much Better” to the peppy rock eruptions within “Renaissance.”
“‘Renaissance’ is a release of all the feelings that come with change,” the band explains. “We wrote it at a moment when many loved ones in our circles were moving out and away from Brooklyn. What came out was a story that tries to welcome them back.” The track excels, particularly in the “I want my heart on the table,” outpouring with debonair vocal reflections; the brisk guitar accompaniments prove infectious into the “but I don’t know why,” vocal refrain.
Another highlight, “Much Better” traverses from honest lyrical admittances — “I don’t trust you at all,” — and bass-heavy entrancement into a glistening, title-referencing hook. The panting percussion and sparkling tones past the one-minute turn builds into the “I love everything that you do,” line with stellar impact. The band elaborates: “‘Much Better’ tells the story of a cowboy in the desert who just can’t seem to hold onto love. Years of missed connections have hardened his exterior, but on the inside he still just wants someone to hold him.”
Stream these two standouts, and the rest of the excellent Self Checkout, below:
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These and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
