Lose, Badly, the second EP by Booze Radly, is a wry commentary on the emo genre ranging from pop-like tempos to screamo social critiques. The opening track, “White Guy Emo,” is an upbeat, self-aware satirization of genre norms echoing the comedic stylings of Bo Burnam. The band’s sense of humor is on fine display while poking fun at emo’s tendency to bemoan relationships gone by. “Hydro-Illogical,” the second track, begins with an audio clip of an angry studio executive’s reaction, which is followed by a tonal shift into traditional emo fare and quickly descends into self-hate. The strong alliteration of the song lends a poetic sensibility to the angst, which is broken up by a humorous depiction of the vocalist’s “shell of unused potential” transforming into a “hermit crab looking for a home.”
The next number, “Crash and Burn,” opens with a classic power ballad reminiscent of two thousand aught emo staples such as Good Charlotte. The song powerfully depicts the near-universal millennial feeling of not being able to catch a break then pivots to hatred of someone who died from self-harm or addiction before closing with a dark monologue. The juxtaposition of specific and ubiquitous emotions convey the complexities of grief. “Unlearning Sadness” employs echoey vocals to eloquently tackle codependency. However this wit is not sustained as the penultimate track, “Admissions of Infirmity,” dissolves into more cliche screamo fair about failing to fit into society.
Finally, “Nothing to Lose” descends into cursing and trite phrases about corporate overlords, mass media, and societal control amidst a background of atonal percussives. Nonetheless, the closing audio clip of Joe Biden railing against the entitlement of the “younger generation” lends credence to the anger of the album. Overall, Lose, Badly affirms millennial ennui while making sure not to take itself too seriously. Four stars.
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