LoathsomePete

It’s quite easy to look at the album art, the artist’s name, the album title, and a few of the song titles and come to the conclusion that this is nothing more than your typical indie band who focus on self-depreciation in order to come off as different from their Pitchfork Media baby counterparts who happily lap up the praises those sites give out. Well you’re not exactly wrong to think that, the album is definitely an album that focuses on self-depreciation and the anxieties in life, however it’s executed in a manner where it actually seems genuine, like listening to that friend who is always beating up on himself, but doing it in such a way that you’re convinced he’s not going to kill himself or become a serial killer. In fact the song “Overreacting” touches on the thoughts of suicide and how life doesn’t always need to be taken so seriously, that by choosing to kill yourself you are being misguided by minor failures and that nobody is perfect.

I was introduced to Brad Sucks sometime in mid 2007 from a friend of an ex girlfriend of mine who had actually gotten into the film school I was denied access to. He had created a music video for “Making Me Nervous” which he entered into a contest to be used as an official music video. While the video failed to make it that far, it did prompt me to further investigate this musician and I was quite happy to learn that he is from Canada. I found the CD online, grabbed it and just sucked it up like a sponge. Every song on the album minus the second one seemed to relate to me in a very compelling way. Even the album title, I Don’t Know What I’m Doing was a recurring thought as I toiled away at work while attempting to keep food in my stomach and a roof over my head. It is quite rare for someone who was that young at the time (19 if I’m not mistaken) to really find an album that truly speaks to them and that they can really relate to without feeling melodramatic.

It’s unfortunate that Brad Sucks has never really taken off, even in Canada he is still a relatively unknown artist, perhaps it’s the less than flattering band name. Strip away the band name and there really is some catchy indie rock tunes with a great mix of acoustic, electronic, and distorted effects to make it seem grander than on first look. Brad Sucks is one of the few bands that have really taken advantage of the Free Culture movement and releases music for free on his website following the Jonathan Coulton method of letting fans choose their price. Brad also waives the rights to his songs so they essentially become public domain which garnishes him a lot of free publicity from fan made music videos, remixes, and blogs.

Perhaps the most ironic thing about the album is that the perceived faults actually help strengthen the album when taken into consideration. It’s incredibly short and none of the songs feel fully fleshed out, but at the same time the album doesn’t outstay its welcome and is something than can grab a listener’s attention for the full 40 minutes, ensuring that the song messages will likely be absorbed. Brad definitely takes his vocals from Beck, almost to the point where they could be indistinguishable for someone not totally familiar with Beck’s music, however if you enjoy Beck’s vocals then there’s a very good chance you’ll enjoy Brad’s.

Brad Sucks holds a very special place in my heart and while I don’t expect everyone to enjoy his music, I have to say that I’m a pretty big fan of his. It’s not often that albums really speak to me on a personal level but when they do it’s a very special thing because it almost makes you feel like the album was written especially for you. You may like it, you may not. If you’re a fan of indie rock and in particular Beck, then it definitely raises the odds.

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101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too