This week, I analyzed the first six songs on Rex’s debut album: Bcos U Will Never B Free. This album is unique in its lyrics, instrumentals, and the story it tells, but also incredibly compelling and interesting to listen to. I’m going to analyze my favorite, least favorite, and one random from this group because a full analysis of all six would be incredibly long.
My favorite song from this group was one titled Paradise. This song tells the story of a guy who is struggling to find peace with his relationships and feels pressured to be someone who he truly is not. He mentions seeing the people he cares about and loves in “paradise” which is a separate entity from the party he is describing in the song. The instrumentals in this song are strong and unique; the short xylophone riffs add whimsy while the strong bass adds a jazz component. His instrumentals match the pace of his voice, especially during parts of the song where he resorts more to using a speaking voice than singing. Overall, I rated this song a 7/10 because of its catchy tune and diverse instrumental arrangement.
One of Rex’s most popular songs is Corduroy Dreams; it also happens to be one of my least favorite songs from his entire discography. I dislike the lyrics which most people think are humorous, and honestly just find annoyance in the cadence of the song as a whole. While the instrumentals were very good and provided a jazzy, playful, and more staccato sound, the lyrics take so much away from the song that it’s hard to fully enjoy. There really isn’t much else to say about the song without being incredibly mean, so I’ll leave you with my overall rating of a 2/10.
The album begins with a slower song titled Rex (intro), which serves as a prologue to the rest of the album. Its bright and dreamlike instrumentals achieved by using a synthesizer make the song whimsical. I felt like it was something that would be heard from a music box. The instrumentals provided a strong backbone to the song as a whole as he matched the diction of his lyrics with the progression of synth cords. The drawn-out notes and raw emotions presented through the lyrics of the song also make it enjoyable and unique to listen to. Towards the end, it sounds as if he is far away and just singing to himself, as if he is in a dream and coming back to reality. I ultimately decided to rate the song as a 4/10 giving it a slightly low score because of it’s length. Lasting only 1 minute and 46 seconds, it doesn’t provide much time to really enjoy the song.
I predict that my ratings will only improve from here, as his first album is my least favorite (though I still love it). Attached below are my in depth notes about all six songs I listened to and my thoughts at the moment I listened to them.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i8kx4gCJ7oEOyKSnbIyhUj4k-7SDBhDzrZ4Bpj5mg3g/edit?usp=sharing
I think you did a great job describing the instrumentals of this album, I definitely agree that the sound provides for a “whimsy” or “weightless” feeling. As someone who has always been more into instrumentals and the sound of music rather than its lyrics, I appreciate an album such as Bcos U Will Never B Free for its unique sound! I also thought it was especially interesting how Corduroy Dreams is described as one of your least favorite songs despite its popularity, but then I listened to the song again after quite some time and I was reminded of the lyrics and they’re definitely interesting… Overall, I really enjoyed reading your analysis and description of each song and I’m looking forward to your future album reviews!
As I read the review, I played “Paradise” in the background, so I could better understand what you were discussing. It is not exactly my style of music but I do agree overall with your assessment from an objective standpoint. I think it is excellent how passionate you are about this topic and your analysis was very in-depth.
I listened to the first six songs while I read your post 🙂 I have to say, I agree with all of your ratings. I think you did a good job of describing the instrumentals in each of the songs. Paradise had such a catchy tune, and I loved the xylophone in the background – so playful and unique. Anyway, I appreciate reading your opinions on these songs, and I can’t wait for your next ratings!
I totally agree with what you had to say about “Corduroy Dreams.” I think it is SUPER overrated and, honestly, one of the worst songs on the album. It is a shame that it picked up so much traction compared to some of the better songs on the album. I also really like Paradise, and I think overall, you did an amazing job analyzing the first six tracks so far.