Album Review: brakence - hypochondriac

Release Date: December 2, 2022
Runtime: 52 min 12 sec

Rating: 89/100

High Tracks: caffeine, 5g, cbd, argyle, deepfake
Low Tracks: preparation exercise no. 7 (trembling), introvert

hypochondriac, the second studio release from standout artist, brakence, is a chaotic opus of manic anxiety. Adding to the artist's already iconic glitch-pop production are stylistic influences of punk, shoegaze, synth, bass, and hip-hop. Fragments of each genre are layered over one another before being completely stripped away and built back up again. Unnatural and mechanized sounds constantly buzz through the listener's attention, and yet, it all meshes tremendously well. With the self-applied moniker "glitch-pop perfectionist," it's no surprise that each note feels deliberately disruptive. It's clear that brakence - real name Randy Findell -  intends to not just ride the success of his debut album punk2, but to push boundaries and create new highs.

A huge focus of this album, both musically and thematically, is destruction: the destruction of the norm, art, and ego. Frantic vocals fade into softly crooned passages, mentions of self-referential art appear all over the project, and a lyrical narrative tells a tale of ego death. Ego death can mean different things to different cultures, but it's generically defined as a loss of one's sense of self. brakence displays this progressive loss by beginning the album oozing with cockiness and slowly revealing more and more anxiety, insecurity, and apathy. The first few tracks, especially "caffeine," are arrogant and braggadocious with absolutely no subtlety. The lyrics are shallow and selfish, but completely backed by the driving and infectious beats they're rapped over. By the midpoint of the album, "preparation exercise no. 7 (trembling)," this version of brakence is almost completely gone - soon to be replaced by a more damaged and honest model. The songs "cbd," "argyle," and "deepfake," contain startling confessions of illness. For example, lines like "But every single time I ask for help/They just talk over me, assume I'm fine," "I was tryna make a living/Well I did, and now I don't wanna live at all", and "I don't know how much more I can take/'Cause I'm gonna need more than sunlight or getting in shape," are not even close to the initial character. This loss of self continues on and on before finally collapsing in the final and titular track, "hypochondriac."

Findell's music is known to be very expressive and full of references to itself. He consistently writes lyrics focused on the beats he's rapping over, his quick rise to recognition, and the art he's creating. This is very apparent in the song "teeth." The first verse states "Uh, I made a couple of beats/Then the whole 'net started capturin' me," followed by the chorus:

Take a breath before my ego pop
Play a set likе I'm a handmade prop
Put the clay in my oven, a petrified sufferer
Restrain it, that's fear-based art
Tainted flesh, it's why the photos cropped
I'm possessed the way I play my part
Farming hatred like gatherin' trading cards
Spirit degrading, that's fear-based art

This passage explains that brakence's creative motivation comes from a place of distress. His art comes from a place of fear - as if the emotional outlet of music were to stop, his identity and sense of self would end with it. Also included in this chorus is a direct line of ego loss, showing that brakence is aware of his demise. There are references to his own art all over the album, however, this is the most explicit example.

Many parts of this project feel computer simulated; as if someone input the word "music" to an unsupervised AI. There seems to be a loose Matrix-esque lore; A sort of narrative that proclaims brakence himself to be the simulation. Throughout the album are two voices, or characters, that chime in with other-worldly interjections, breaking through the consciousness. The first is a female voice whose main reoccurring line is "bloomtodeath," which is suggestive of the ego's breakdown. She is also heard saying "Your mind was programmed to drift," "the ritual is now complete," and "They're chasing us, can you see them?" The second voice is a radio-host quality male, stating "You are watching a master at work," "Mortal insects, witness my wrath," and "You are now in a state of suspended animation." In the penultimate track, the two characters trade overlapping lines before the female voice begins a monologue:

This is a message from the twelfth of thirteen
Brakence has been successfully eradicated
We came to the conclusion that he would rather make selfish art than serve a higher purpose
So when you hit replay, ask yourself these questions:
Who are you really listening to?
And where is the line between art and dark magic?
Because that man has no idea

While this message seems to be a confirmation of psychedelic ego death, it's clear that real-life Randy Findell has no shortage of ego. He is a confident musician and songwriter who truly believes in his art. hypochondriac is an incredibly ambitious project for a sophomore album (and his first album signed to Columbia Records). At the very least, this work will give him even more recognition, potentially pushing him out of his niche glitch pop-punk fan base. His music is especially polarizing and certainly not for everybody, but his talent and effort are undeniable. Give the album a listen and form your own opinion.