Blokeacola arrives with his next offering, ‘Wig Game’
From the first listen of Blokeacola’s Wig Game, I knew this was something special; the promising artist is showcasing some mind-blowing lyrical masterpiece… wearing the wordsmith influence on his sleeve… John Lennon’s “I Am The Walrus” comes to mind, just with a few crucial edits in the margin by Bob Dylan and Jarvis Cocker. Wig Game is darker, edgier, and more mature than his previous offerings… Roll Up! Blokeacola is taking our hand to evoke disorientation… articulating the ridiculous nature of modern life…
“Wig Game” - “I am not a robot. Click here to continue” This is just the start of a magical poetic journey. Blokeacola says he is just a “lover of language” and wants “to use words or phrases you might not normally hear in a pop song.” But, to me, Blokeacola describes the world in a lyrically nonsensical and yet coherent and meaningful way. Adult imagery is cleverly described in an almost childlike fashion… in a way… to me… that reveals the absurdity and maybe the emptiness of modern life and humanity. Wig Game is loaded: “Death squads in El Salvador dress like a mannequin.” Wig Game is dressed up in melodic summer guitar, upbeat drums… yet a constant mellotron or synth is playing an agreeable but yet dissonant tone which adds to the unease and psychedelic nature of this EP’s intro.
The dark thematic and psychedelia automatically make me reach for a comparison to Forever Changes by Love…. Even though that is a totally different record… but also the drums, in places, make me think of the arrangements of Lalo Schifrin… harking to the unease and suspense we get whilst watching Dirty Harry.
“Taste The Brainbow” is the next song and touches on a number of classic 1960s/70s influences… Blokeacola gives nods to Bob Dylan, wrapped up in a vocal delivery, which, in places, is reminiscent of David Bowie. The drumming, which is the spine of this song, is driving the sparse arrangement coupled with a bouncing bass line… These elements remind me of Hot Chocolate, something which I know amused Blokeacola when I made this comparison. The song is knitted together with a cheerful guitar lick echoing across the dark, humorous lyrics: “Say hello combover future boy.” Again, this is a good psychedelic track driven genre wise mostly by its lyrical painting rather than the melodic strokes.
Blokeacola’s voice in “My Little Crony” has found a higher octave and is no longer echoing Bowie. The lyrics, again, are full of social commentary and illuminate the disillusionment we all think and feel in everyday life… The plastic social media and materialistic life we lead… but maybe don’t stop to think about it. “Dog shit princess” and “poor mans pizza” … delivered softly but cutting and acerbic. “My Little Crony” is more of a stream of consciousness… Bass line pumping… be rude not to nod your head or tap your foot… Dancing jangling guitar riffs decorate this song over a rhythmic drum beat, forcing this song along... classic organ sounds riff over the words and in the breaks until the track fades like a dream. It’s catchy and exciting, and it definitely stands out from what we hear nowadays.
“Salami Lama” is another ambitious arrangement yet presented in a way that seems effortless and minimal… By this stage of the EP, you can tell that Blokeacola has definitely embraced his uniqueness, leading us listeners through his scattered, random thoughts… This song reminds me of Kula Shaker… I can fully imagine Crispin Mills hearing this and realising he has been missing the point since the 1990s. Some of the textures in this song again highlight Blokeacola’s heavy 1970s influences. The crying guitar is reminiscent of Jeff Wayne’s War of The Worlds… “We’re blasting off to space but we can’t even pick up dog shit here on earth” and “Crypto fascists live where the elves and munchkins dwell” …for me, a massive dig at Elon and his ex-Mrs. Grimes… but… perhaps not. Blokeacola speaks to our individual thoughts and unites us in feelings… encapsulating the times we live in when we all have less and less consensus about what is even real. Blokeacola demands your attention in all the best ways.
“Common Enemy Comet” is a song that reminds me of some of the Foo Fighters' work… If I was writing this song to this melody, I would have taken the easy path and given you a dreaded love song. Blokeacola is too clever for that and continues to guide our hand through this strange new world we live in, jarringly juxtaposed with an older, simpler one that’s slowly fading out of view. This song is quaint, pleasant and acts as a slower moment on the EP.
“Splendid Creatures” is another quick and witty delivery full of infectious hook writing. A song that jangles with a guitar that, for me, nods to the OK Computer era of Radiohead… but again… those drum fills and breaks that punctuate that hypnotic beat have that marked 1970s influence. This lyrically introspective EP has now hit the mark on everything I love about discovering new music. Blokeacola is bold, fresh, and solidifies his position as being 100% original with his songs. Taking his influences and making them something new. I am left wanting more!
This EP will likely appeal to anyone who likes a broad range of guitar-based music, including Deerhunter, Wilco, The National, Bon Iver, Pixies, The Beatles, and lots more, from track to track.
For now, Wig Game is available exclusively on Bandcamp!.