Album: Trash to the Trash Gods
Artist: Bergie & The Magic Bag
Released: April 4th, 2024/ Beautiful Rat Records
Bergie & The Magic Bag is an interesting mix of indie rock, folk, and punk. So, if you are looking for that sort of thing (lord knows I am) then Trash To The Trash Gods is definitely worth a look. It also has a clearly defined since of humor that comes out through the album that makes it a highly enjoyable listen.
The first song that I would like to talk about is “FOREST OF LONELY SOULS”. It has a really cool electronic vibe and a super chill melody. The song is about being lonely but seeking refuge in a place where you fit in with other lonely outcasts. Aside from the ambience and serene feelings the music generates that make this a standout song for me, there are a couple of one liners in this song that are unexpected and genuinely hilarious. It isn’t often that a song makes me audibly chuckle, but this song accomplished that on my first listen. “Rockstar (Nothing Like the First Time 2)” features some pretty big piano that really takes over the song in a fantastic way. This song also features the humor of Bergie in the form of a detailed and convoluted story about taking ecstasy at a show. It is absurd and ultimately pointless and harkens back to American Folk performers like Utah Phillips who were known for telling such shaggy dog stories. I, for one, think that we should bring this kind of thing back. They are little snapshots into the culture of the time that I can not get enough of. The last stand out song for me is “20 For Tie-Dye.” This really tickles the brain of the theater kid that lives inside me. It tells a story of a group of friends having small adventures in a very slice of life kind of way. I can easily imagine this performed as an on-stage musical theater style complete with sets costumes and dance numbers. This song is my favorite on the album because it is very fun entertaining and honestly makes me want to go on a fun little adventure.
I know that I have spent a lot of words talking about the humor of this album, but I want to be very clear this is not a comedy album. The songs I have chosen to highlight are indeed humorous and that is what I think makes them unique and enjoyable. However, there are so many songs on this album that are straight up amazing bangers. For example, “ALL HAIL THE D-TRAIN” and “MIKE WE NEED TO WRITE A FOLK PUNK SONG” are classic folk punk songs. “(Everybody’s Headed To) BROOKLYN!!!” Is a smooth indie rock bop and “TRASH TO THE TRASH GODS” is a guitar driver rock song with horns about life and the road. As a whole, this album checks a lot of my boxes in really innovative ways that keeps me coming back for more. Every song is a blast to listen to and they are all varied in ways that makes beginning to end album listen throughs an experience that never grows boring or tiresome. Bergie & The Magic Bag’s TRASH TO THE TRASH GODS is every bit a spectacle as it is an extremely well executed musical masterpiece.
This review was originally posted on April 5, 2024 on the former LFDH substack.
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