Review | Bully – Feels Like

Oh, god, I’m in love.

I realize that my experience is not everyone’s. I realize that not all of you are women who grew up in the 90s, and for those of you who are not, this might not be as perfect as it is for me. But a) if you are, come sit by me, and b) if you’re not, give Bully a whirl anyway.

Here’s what you’re in for: Alicia Bognanno’s throat-tearing screams giving way to singing with a delicate, almost girlish quality, sometimes within the same song (shades of the Muffs, and, in terms of vocal codeswitching, the Midnight Creeps). Melodies straight out of 90s alt-rock, which is a compliment, in case you’re wondering. And subject matter ranging from puking in cars to breaking your sister’s arm to praying for your period. Indeed, how could you sing about any of those things without running your vocal cords ragged?

That’s a major theme of this entire album: everything in life is so fraught and so laden down with meaning or memory that it’s almost crushing you, and if you remember being a teenager or a young adult, you remember. The incredible song “Brainfreeze” sounds like a typical story of youthful hijinks, tearing around in the woods and climbing on the roof and whatnot, until you realize that nearly everything she mentions is a close call with disaster and it’s a litany of ways she didn’t die. Do you remember being 12 or so and being on the horrible cusp of everything changing? Some people have to respond by using up all their immortality while they have it, and secretly hoping that maybe they don’t still have it and can escape what is rushing towards them.

Leadoff track “I Remember” rips through 2 minutes of moments from a failed relationship in that blistering scream, to the point that your own throat feels raw after listening, and your soul feels raw as if it had all happened to you.

And you may recall where I stand on bands having a theme song. Well, Bully has a song called “Bully,” dealing with internalizing the things your bully tells you, and I think that fits the bill nicely. The bully is external but it becomes you; if this isn’t instantly familiar, we had a very different time growing up.

Feels Like comes out today! Get it immediately at the Bully website. And consider your needs in regard to seeing them live. You just missed them a week or so ago at the Paradise, and so did I, but they’ll be back as part of the next Boston Calling (the one in the fall). If you, like me, always feel like there’s one or maybe two bands at those festivals you want to see, now you know who the band you want to see next time around is.

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