Badflower 'Temper' Album Review

The American rock band, Badflower has recently released their debut album, 'OK, I'M SICK.' Before we take a look into their newest work, we decided to take a trip back to the first songs they ever released. This will be a detailed review of their EP 'Temper.' I'll be reviewing and critiquing the songs one by one based on their meaning, music, and execution. At the end, I'll share my final thoughts on the album as a whole and give it a number rating out of ten. Like with all of our reviews, these are our opinions and we mean no harm to the band or to anyone else. With that being said, let's take a look at 'Temper.'

(Note: The original version of the EP came with the song, 'Heroin' which we chose not to review in this article, as the song is also on their full-length album. So if you'd like to read our review of that song, the 'OK, I'M SICK' review will be released tomorrow morning. We're sorry for any inconvenience.)

Song #1   -   Animal

The first song from the EP is also it's biggest hit. The song has an overall feel as if you're hearing it live in an arena. Josh Katz's vocals echo throughout the track. After listening to this track twice and then the official live version, I can say without hesitation this track is better live. The lyrics compare a partner to an animal; they are descriptive and paint a picture. If you close your eyes you can easily imagine everything he's saying. I enjoy how well the music works with the vocals and the parts where they chose to only showcase Katz's vocals. It all works together quite well. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of songs with a relationship as the main topic (as most seem cliche and overdone), but they handle it nicely and deliver something fresh. There are parts of the song where you can hear his voice shaking, which delivers strong emotions to the listener. However, you can tell that they're fairly inexperienced, but they use it to their advantage.

Meaning: 4.5/5
Music: 5/5
Execution: 4.5/5



Song #2   -   Drop Dead (Explicit)

Like the last track, this one sounds like it's live instead of audio. It reminds me a little bit of My Chemical Romance's early music. The chorus is fun and lively, a good offset for the slowness of the two verses. The lyrics tell of someone who exploits others for their own sexual advantage. As far as topics go, I feel like this wasn't the right path, but no one writes from a void so it probably does have a significant meaning to the band. Overall, this song seems to be from an extremely angry place and the vocals and instrumentals are heavy. I did enjoy the sound that the chorus had, but the backing vocals and screams seemed a little low quality - which makes perfect sense considering this EP was recorded in a basement. It was overall a fun, yet fierce track with some questionable lyrics.

Meaning: 3.5/5
Music: 5/5
Execution: 4.5/5



Song #3   -   Let The Band Play (Explicit)

This track features heavy lyrics which tell a strong story of a relationship gone wrong. The music is almost folksy and holds like a rock opera. Katz's vocals soar in this song and the production sounds quite well compared to the others. Like the last two songs, this one also sounds up close and personal. This R-rated, vengeance ridden track stands apart from the others. While the production might have been a little bit better on this song, it is still fairly low quality. It was a catchy track with a fun sound which contrasts its grave lyrical content.

Meaning: 4.5/5
Music: 5/5
Execution: 4.5/5



Song #4   -   White Noise (Explicit)

Badflower had ended this EP with the best possible song out of these four. The lyrical content for this track is outstanding and deep, if not a little bit depressing. Katz's vocals are amazing as usual, as are the instrumentals. The production on this track is alright, a little better than the others, but still not great. They achieved the sound they were working for and it sounds quite good. Overall, an exceptionally good song.

Meaning: 5/5
Music: 5/5
Execution: 4.5/5



Overall songs from favorite to least favorite:

1. White Noise
2. Drop Dead
3. Animal
4. Let The Band Play

(In all honesty, the songs on this list are subject to change position as I continue to listen to this album. They were all amazing and it was near impossible to list them from favorite to least favorite)

Album Review:

You can tell with each of these songs that at this stage in their lives they were still figuring things out. The album was recorded in a basement, and in some areas, the production was lacking. With that being said, none of it was the bands' fault. The lyrics were still deep and heartfelt, the vocals were incredible, and the instrumentals were amazing. They showed true professionalism with having to figure everything out on their own and make a career out of it. I enjoyed that each song sounded as though it was a live performance; which in my opinion is what music should sound like. It doesn't sound overproduced or auto-tuned in the slightest. It's refreshing to be able to listen to the live version of the song, and not have everything sound completely different. Even though this EP was just a stepping stone for them to get to where they are at today, it was still astounding. One day soon, this band will make it huge.

Overall Album Rating:
7.5/10

We urge you to give it a try for yourself!

What Badflower song was your favorite? Let us know in the comments!