Album: Bri Earned the Power of Self Respect
Artist: Brianna Carmel
Released: May 24, 2024; Self Release
Brianna Carmel is one of the hardest working people in DIY that you might not have heard of. I think that is a shame. Their roots lay deep in the Sacramento DIY scene and they are a member of the bands “Blooming Heads” and “Little Tiny Knife” as well as having their own solo project. So with the release of their new EP I hope you take a moment to get acquainted with their work.
This EP is pure Ukulele driven indie rock with a little bit of chiptune and a punk attitude sprinkled in as a treat. It’s a fun listen even if the lyrics get a little heavy at times. The name “Bri Earned the Power of Self-Respect” is a reference to Scott Pilgrim vs the World and it is very fitting for the namesake song as well as the album as a whole. In honor of this, and if y’all will indulge me, I am now going to review every song in this EP as if it were the chapter of a Manga because aside from giving off Scott Pilgrim vibes, the EP tells a story that lends itself well to this style of review.
Chapter 1- My True Self (Stupid, A Mess, Etc.)
The story begins and we find our hero full of self doubt, fear and worry. They worry that they might not have what it takes to truly thrive. Things are starting out pretty low for our hero
Chapter 2- Fool Me Once
I am not going to sugar coat this one folks, things are looking pretty bleak for our hero. They just ran into a pair of absolute villains who I’ll call the 2 evil dudes and it did not go well. Despite this, our hero did learn some things about themself that will likely come in handy later.
Chapter 3- Bri Earned the Power of Self Respect.
This is definitely our hero’s plus ultra moment. They have finally leveled up got the power they need to get control of their life and become the person they always wanted to be.
Epilogue- One Year Later/Born Again
Turns out even with a superpower, life is still hard, but now our hero has the confidence and tools they need to work through that struggle. They know that eventually everything is going to be okay. Someday.
Oh, if you were wondering, my favorite song is the title track. Turns out my praise can be bought with a chiptune, engaging vocal performance, and an empowering message. Honorable mention also goes to “One Year Later/Born Again”. I think it is all too easy and very common especially for the sake of telling a complete and finished story to fall into the trap of pretending that all anyone needs is that one moment of standing up for themselves. After that everything automagically fixes itself. This song manages to avoid that trap by clearly stating the reality that working towards your best life will always be hard. Yet it still ends beautifully on an extremely hopeful note.
Everything about this EP is top notch! The emotionally raw storytelling of this EP really makes it stand out. It is definitely one of those EPs that you must listen to from beginning to end to really soak it in completely. It is very self reflective and sometimes brutally honest. Definitely the sincerest EP I’ve listened to so far this year.
This review was originally posted on May 30, 2024 on the former LFDH substack.