Record Review: Abnormal Beginnings

*The Review of psychedelic/ alternative band Barerra’s debut album “Abnormal Beginnings”

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I had been following this band for quite a while now ever since they released their single Can’t Help, and amongst the plethora of indie rock bands still trying to make it in this day and age that sound identical to one another, Barerra had oddly stood out to me. There was nothing otherworldly about the production of their debut single, but I did appreciate the guitar work and the-not-so-subtle influences of Pink Floyd in the solo. They had managed to attract a small audience with their sound. Though I suppose their aesthetic also helped their appeal, often feeding their audience with imagery of what seems to be Andy Warhol-inspired art, Distinctly reminiscent of psychedelic rock from the 60s.

Once their debut album “Abnormal Beginnings” released, it’s easy to say that it was quite anticipated for me. It’s by no means a bad album. Considering it’s the debut of an underground indie rock band made up by 20-something-year-olds or possibly even younger, it’s actually quite impressive. I was, however, left quite underwhelmed, even disappointed at times at what I interpreted at sheer laziness. It’s quite clear that this isn’t the most original album, and I’m not going to drag too long on the fact that it is a possibility that this nostalgia factor could be a technique of theirs. I am, however, going to ramble on about the highlights of Abnormal Beginnings.

• Barerra has taken a lot of influence from the “Woodstock generation”-type psychedelic rock sound from the ‘60s, and you can hear that it is very prevalent when listening to their opening track “False sincerity”. The riff to this track had me instantly hooked, but this excitement had quickly died down once I had realised the extent to which they had been influenced by artists such as Jimi Hendrix. Specifically, how, very coincidentally, the riff to "False Sincerity" is practically identical to Hendrix's “Foxey Lady”. The vocals on this track weren’t anything too special, nor were the lyrics. There was nothing transcendent about “False Sincerity”, and I don't feel as if this track emphasizes or accentuates the skill level or creativity of this band in any way.

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• “1951" briefly showcased influences of Radiohead, more specifically “Creep (or “The Air That I Breathe” By the Hollies if you’re an old soul). Though this time the similarities between the two are less, and it is more of an influence here unlike “False Sincerity”. Now, I’m not aware of every psychedelic-alternative act that has ever existed, so it is a possibility that the subtle influences of Radiohead I do pickup are purely coincidental. However, the more melancholy tone of “1951" is a possible indication that these guys were recording pretty late with some subtle “Pablo Honey” In the background.

• “Tell Me I’m Wrong” had been the most poppy-Esque track in the album. Again, there was nothing about this track that had distinguished it as being anything other than another indie-pop song, however, it did manage to give attention to the lead singers vocals, as this time she could at least somewhat show off the potential of her voice within the chorus. “The Edge”, was once again very reminiscent of the progressive rock nature of Pink Floyd, it was the most interesting track, as I felt as if there was an actual story there that the instruments tried to communicate. However, the similarities I had picked up between “The Edge” and “The Dark Side Of The Moon”, prevented it from standing on its own, as it all it had felt like to me, was a by-product of Pink Floyd as a whole.

• They included a re-recorded version of “Can’t Help”, which is already the strongest track that they had, however, this version had truly underlined and made sure the power in the guitar-work was much more prominent. The solo to “Can’t Help” might've had its influences as said before, however, I genuinely believe that it shows the potential for Barrera.

I’m not sure what the future for this band is going to be, but I’m not sure I would’ve ever given them a chance to listen to or to even write about if I didn’t believe they were capable of doing something exceptional. I know I’m giving them a lot of shit for being slightly unoriginal in their material, as even the greatest artists take inspiration from somewhere. Still, I am very much anticipating this bands next album, as it is not every day you get an underground indie band that manages to stand out from the rest of the noise.

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Additional sources:

Barerra, “Abnormal Beginnings”, Barerra, 2020