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May 18, 2023 Web Exclusive By Ben Jardine

There’s something a little off about the new Mega Bog album, but that isn’t a bad thing. The seventh record from LA’s Erin Elizabeth Birgy, End of Everything is a wobbly, synth-heavy ode to surrender and mourning, and it sounds more readily plucked from the ’80s than the contemporary indie canon. We hear Birgy reflecting (in restrained angst) on the self, on the climate, and our collective futures, all over bubbling synths, harmonic howling, and the occasional grit of a guitar. It’s a record packed with glittering dance tracks, where, under the surface, dark and dramatic lyrics simmer.

On End of Everything, Birgy wanted to “write instantly,” and ditched her usual guitar for synths and piano. The resulting sound is musically diverse: a combination of disco, film soundtrack ambiance, post-punk, and New Wave, plus a pairing of synthetic and organic instrumentation that echoes both Bronski Beat and The Weather Station.

Album opener “Cactus People” is a synth-heavy track ripped from an ’80s film, with lyrical poetics that plead against abandonment. “The Clown” describes apocalyptic scenes and beheadings, and is even peppered with the occasional sound of a sword being drawn from a sheath: all of this against a backdrop of catchy dance-pop hooks. “Love Is” is playful in its structure, yet lyrically shrouded in heartbreak borne from naivety. The title track is a particular highlight: a piano ballad that meanders in the doom Birgy writ.

The production on End of Everything is sleek and forward-thinking; perfection to juxtapose against the album’s imperfect prose. Featuring frequent collaborators such as Big Thief’s James Krivchenia on drums and co-production, Aaron Otheim (Heatwarmer) on synths and piano, Zach Burba (iji) on bass guitar, Meg Duffy (Hand Habits), Will Segerstrom, and Jackson Macintosh (Sheer Agony, Drugdealer, TOPS) on guitars, End of Everything is an efficient and tightly packed record, and one that should be required listening for all generations. (www.megabog.com)

Author rating: 8.5/10