Review Summary: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot
You know those crazy cat-persons who would talk about their cats all the time, right? Well, as a proud single mother of a lovely ginger piece of sunshine, I happen to be one of them. So, it’s time for a bit of cat-talk. I promise to get to the point.
My Kraken is a spoiled and loved child. He goes as he pleases, and he does what he likes. Among other things, he likes to bite my hands and feet. He does not mean any harm. He just wants to play, and I happen to be his favorite toy. Of course, it hurts sometimes. However, Kraken also looks extra sweet and amusing when he is gnawing on my old bones. Just cannot be angry with him.
In fact, I actually prefer things with some bite in them. Every girl I ever loved had quite a bit of temper. I really like spicy food. And of course, I like my music to be daring and unpredictable regardless of the genre. Which, unfortunately, is where the album under review is lacking for me.
That is not to say that I don’t like what Headache does here. In fact, when the zestful spoken intro sounded and the first song started to spread out gradually, I was sure that I’d end up loving the album. It’s far from being monotonous and you can feel that every song is skillfully crafted with a lot of heart and care put into the album. I listened to it today in the morning, and the music provided a nice enhancement to my Sunday morning mood and my simple but filling breakfast. I frequently felt the urge to nod or sway a bit to the lush melodies provided by Vegyn here. Every song unfolded like a tapestry of electronic sounds, subdued but tasteful violins, warm and soft guitars, and many other things.
At the same time, I couldn’t help but feel that the songs are starting to blend in and it is harder to concentrate on them as the album progresses. There’s quite a lot going on in each song, and every single one of them contains at least a section that I really like. Yet, the rhythmic backbone doesn’t really change throughout the album, remaining steady and comforting but also samey. The general pensive mood of the album also remains the same, although there are some more energetic passages along the way.
And then, there are the lyrics. Vegyn obviously put a lot of care into them, so I tried to pay extra attention. You know what, maybe I should like them more. Because I get it. The loneliness, the heartbreak, the embarrassment of being in an uncomfortable situation with everybody staring at you. Trust me, I’ve been there. Also, some of the more paradoxical passages are brilliant. “I wear my sunglasses in the shower” or “I don’t speak English, I speak Toyota” etc. Then again, it never really hits the spot for me. Sometimes the lyrics here boil down to a string of platitudes, sometimes they disintegrate into pure rambling. The first song is the worst offender here with its rather generic “I’m not like everybody else and it’s so painful” message. I guess the deeply personal and introspective lyrics are meant to be the very same “spicy” factor that I’m always yearning for, but instead, I ended up wishing that the album was instrumental at times.
My point is that the album lacks some bite. I’d say that “Business Opportunities” is the song that comes the closest to breaking the general placid mold due to the strong and invigorating presence of symphonic elements. I’d probably return to that track in the future most often. In general, however, this is what I’ve heard. Pleasant and carefully crafted music that does not really stay with you after it’s finished. Lyrics that strive to be meaningful but end up being sketchy and distracting from the music. Still, I would urge every reader here to give the album a chance. Every listener will likely have a different opinion and perception of it.
