BODEGA - Broken Equipment

Brooklynites BODEGA sounded like a scrappier Arcade Fire when they emerged in 2018, satirising consumerism and technology via jagged post-punk. Their semi-ironic takes on hustle culture were as intellectual and funny as they were great to dance to. ‘Broken Equipment’, the band’s second LP, feels like a natural successor to ‘Endless Scroll’. It’s more confident, a little sexier. It also finds the outfit playing mostly the same old tricks as last time, for mixed results. A highlight straight out the door, ‘Doers’ sounds like it’s been crushed under immense pressure to form a diamond, a double-edged ode to New York with an ear worm chorus and cutting, observational lyrics: “I have an app that reads econ theory by pillow while I sleep,” Ben Hozie announces, warbled synths blaring around him like sirens in a busy street. The fist-pumping ‘NYC (Disambiguation)’ has more than a hint of ‘Rebellion (Lies)’ about it, but they make it their own, again thanks to some outstanding lyrics that summarise their hometown’s history, stone forts all the way up to “plastic phones, police and sugar.” ‘Pillar On the Bridge of You’ meanwhile conjures a fizzy ‘80s sound akin to The Cult, elevating BODEGA’s often sparse production to incandescent heights.