Ready for a dose of nostalgia? Bui’s new single, “Something Else to Talk About” is a perfect 90’s track, with an easy going, slacker vibe that defined the music of that decade. The sound of this track feels perfectly at home in a 90’s time capsule. Upon first listen, I thought I was listening to an early Weezer track, and I found myself sitting in the middle of a nostalgic house party.
The overall arrangement of the song is simple, yet effective. After the thunderous intro, the song eases back and settles into an alternative rock jam. The lyrics are pretty simple, but the singer does a great job delivering them – his accent that giving a flair to the lyrics that makes them even catchier.
The production of the track is great, with instruments perfectly layered in the mix and a great overall sound. The vocals are a bit faint, yet they function well within the context of the track. The guitars sound great, with a few effects that help to distinguish and give character to the track. The bass also has a great level of distortion and treble to it, and it sounds great in the mix with the guitars.
There is a great loud-quiet dynamic (think Nirvana and Weezer again), where the track begins with a heavy crash of instruments, only to transform into an easy groove for the remainder of the song. This can be hard to do at times, yet Bui does a great job of utilizing this effect throughout their song without it getting repetitive. Each chorus ends with a great instrumental interlude, with a synth melody that takes over from the vocals. These little breaks help the pace of the song, and they give it a nice amount of variety.
“Something Else to Think About” is a great alternative track for rock fans. It is steeped in the 90’s rock tradition, drawing influence from rock icons like Weezer and Beck.
It’s nonchalant and very melodic, and it makes for a great listen. I thoroughly enjoyed Bui’s new single, and it is a great indicator of things to come.
