Font- Budmo Jiggler album review

Font

Budmo Jiggler

At first glance, a band with a name as simple as Font doesn’t seem all that exciting. After listening to their debut album Budmo Jiggler, the listener might find themselves interested and wanting more. Font, formed and fronted by musician Chuck Fresh, describe their debut as “Coldplay meets Snow Patrol on an island with Jack Johnson while listening to some really cool 90s alternative rock.” Budmo Jiggler is an eclectic sounding album, spanning through several genres of music. With a name like Font, the album title gets its name from a font of the same name. This is indeed a strange album, but this just makes Font and their debut album even more interesting.

            The album opens with the acoustic mellow sounds of “Backwards.” The band certainly lives up to their Coldplay-Snow Patrol-Johnson comparison, as the track is mellow but also has this burst of 90s alternative rock (especially in the chorus). Fresh’s southern rock/country vocals also stand out on the track, as they may sound out of place but at the same time sound in place with the music. This is followed by the questioning piano-based “Believe,” in which Fresh questions religion, politics and society. There’s also a touch of humor, as Fresh tells listeners we can “live without a god” but “can we live without love.” Fresh then warns if you “ask any conservative and they’ll tell you that you’re nuts.”

            Throughout the album, Font balance between conventional sounding pop songs and humorous songs. When it comes to pop tracks, Font certainly delivers. There’s the 90s pop sounds of “Chance,” the power pop glory of “Silence,” the country rock “One More Night,” and the brilliantly written “Mr. Valentine.” While Font can make great pop songs, they can be pretty funny too. Take the Jimmy Buffet-esque “El Captain,” which tells the story of a man who’s too drunk to remember what happened the night before while on a trip to Mexico. The ukulele driven “High on Molokai” celebrates life in Hawaii while “Legend” takes a poke at hip hop music.

            Budmo Jiggler is a bizarrely fascinating debut album. I personally think its worth a listen, no matter what your musical tastes might be. 


Listen to the album here on SoundCloud.