Buddie - Agitator
Crafted Sounds
Released April 21st
Coming off the success of 2020’s Diving, Buddie returns with their sophomore release, Agitator. Composed of dense, evocative lyrics with driving drums and wrapped around a hooky bubble grunge center, Buddie solidifies their sound with Agitator.
Listening to Agitator I got lost many times in the sound and vibe of a track and it took a second or third listen for the lyrics to click. Buddie’s singer and songwriter Dan Forrest takes a poetic angle to lyrics and his creative word and timing choices add another layer to each track. The fact that the hook of “Game of Global Consequence”’ is the line “Baffled by the incapacities” is a wonder; it’s definitely a wordy choice, but the way the syllables bounce on the off beats is such a joy.
Across Agitator, Buddie jumps between songs of classism, sustainability, relationships, and anxiety. Sometimes, the message is really bleak: “Class Warfare” has a line “We’re aphids on plants sucking life from the land in denial” and “Ugly in the End” is about humanity bringing about its own end through pollution. Luckily, Buddie also includes a remedy for such struggles; slowing down and spending time in nature or with loved ones. “Labyrinth” swaps between lazy verses and loud concise choruses while painting a beautiful picture of getting away from it all: “With a Perseid backdrop / Lost with intent / Walk cause we want to”. Buddie is also not afraid to say less is more with its sub two minute tracks; “Break of the Sun” is a beautiful album opener, it’s a sunrise hike that steadily increases and never repeats, and “Worried” is a tight, pop-punk inspired, anti-anxiety anthem that reminds us to seek out love in this stressful world.
Agitator is an interesting album because it’s Buddie solidifying their own sound just enough to break form with some one of a kind standout songs. Buddie’s trademark sound takes shape in tracks like “Class Warfare”, “We’ll Never Break”, and “Backwards, Behind”; solid bass and drums with soft vocals and plenty of room for guitar. That contrasted with the unique moments; the sludgy feeling of “Ugly in the End” or the polyrhythmic breakdown of “Way Up” show some different facets of Buddie, and I for one can’t wait to hear more.
- Alex Brassard
