Review Summary: Taking us through a day in the life of...the boss.
In this age of Youtube, comedy albums are all the more common today than they were in the 90’s. The internet is a goldmine for parody fodder, yet it’s somehow made it all the more disappointing at how few of these comedy albums actually transcend their novelty. 2013 gave us the middling Starbomb group, formed from
Game Grumps leader Egoraptor and
Ninja Sex Party, but 2015 gives us a new Youtuber helmed supergroup. Big Bad Bosses features Jirard “The Completionist” Khalil, Alex Faciane from The Dex, Nate “NateWantstoBattle” Sharp, and Satchel “Satchbag” Drakes, four gaming Youtubers donning their own gaming supervillain personas and bringing about a revival of the boy band phenomenon of the 90’s. All four “villains” are joined by Jake Kaufman, the composer behind many retro-inspired games, including 2014’s
Shovel Knight. By all accounts, this is an all-star lineup, and the planets are aligned to create a clever tribute to classic gaming. Sadly, Big Bad Bosses’ debut LP,
Power Overwhelming, manages to under-develop a lot of its pop sensibilities, and combined with some awful lyrics, doesn’t deliver on its pedigree.
Big Bad Bosses is a calling card right down the way of classic gaming villains. Bowser, Sephiroth, Ganondorf, and Dr. Robotnik (Eggman, depending on your upbringing) are out to croon and rap alongside some hard-hitting beats and club aesthetics. Interestingly enough, the staples of the “male vocal harmony group” are normally set aside in the album’s best moments. “Anger Management” and “Capture You” feature some Michael Jackson funk and some superb R&B crooning respectively. Both are radically different from all of the other vocal styles on board, while also staying true enough to the classic “boy band” aesthetic that Big Bad Bosses are clearly aiming for. Most of the other great tracks on
Power Overwhelming are ones that break the template, like “Another Villain”, which is a musical-theatre-style tribute to the heroes that the villains constantly combat. It’s shockingly well-written, and since it doesn’t take itself seriously, it doesn’t feel like a jarring or unnatural inclusion. “Egg Man” is a samba jam with some reggae-esque vocals and remarkably on-point lyrics, even in the slightly off-kilter rap verses. The humor here doesn’t reach for the easy namedrops and the samba beat is a highlight on the LP. It’s here where you see the kind of playful vibe that Big Bad Bosses are out to snag.
But Big Bad Bosses’ curious highs are brought down by some lackluster songwriting throughout the LP. So many tracks run the gambit from half-backed imitations of styles to outright cringe. “The Raid” is a thudding club track, one that’s serviceable, but sadly uninspired. “I’m the Boss” manages to nail its hook immediately, but tends to run in circles for so long despite that. It’s a pretty weak opening number, despite its catchiness, and it constantly emits the idea of sticking to a template, instead of offering devil-may-care pop swagger.
These issues would be so much easier to overlook if the lyrics weren’t so…terrible. Now, I get it: this is a parody album built around all of the video games we’ve all grown to know and love since our childhood. Sadly, the constant references to Final Fantasy, Mario, Zelda, Sonic and all the rest either aim for the lowest common denominator of gaming culture namedrops or just sound rhythmically unnatural. “Princess” goes for that low-hanging lyrical fruit without any really clever rhymes, but with a monotonous melody throughout. “Angel” has awkward rhythms for the verses and easily the worst vocal melodies in the entire LP. Not even the slamming club beat manages to overcome how bad it is. But when it comes to perfectly encapsulating the idea of “trying too hard”, look no further than “Bears and Birds.” It’s a glitched-out electronic track with none other than Banjo-Kazooie composer
Grant Kirkhope providing the rapping, but even the bizarre novelty of hearing the phrase “Twerk Pope” from the famed musician can’t outweigh the unrestrained electronic buzzes and cringy lyrics. It seems like a horrible excuse to get Kirkhope on the album, and by the end, it is.
Big Bad Bosses have a lot of heart, and on occasion, some musical creativity, but
Power Overwhelming sounds limited and grounded. Some of the songs are brilliant and go for some real curveballs when it comes to musical mood and aesthetic, like “Anger Management.” Some, like “Egg Man”, even overcome the video game indulgence with some confident and clever lyrics. But these stellar moments are brought down by some bland, uninspired tracks with absolutely terrible lyrics. Between the grounded “I’m the Boss” and the massive headcase of “Bears and Birds”, there are some real missteps on
Power Overwhelming. It’s a shame, because Youtube gaming could use more music that pays tribute to the heroes and villains of our childhood, beyond mere remixes or covers. Big Bad Bosses have ideas, but hopefully the inevitable follow-up will elaborate on the brief moments of genius
Power Overwhelming contains.
