I Feel Sick & That Was Weird is Dylan Hendrick’s first release under the name Hora Bora. The Belleville, Ontario-based musician has been releasing music since 2016 under the name Cosmo Doris. The music was more in the realm of lo-fi hip hop, with touches of their current sound sprinkled in. The name change embodies a shift in songwriting style to ‘70s inspired rock and psychedelic pop. The result is I Feel Sick & That Was Weird, an album that is more fun than refined.
The album starts with the lively “Cruisin’ So Low I Could Puke.” The track’s parlor-like piano, heavy bass and distorted guitar give the song exciting energy. Hendrick’s theatrical delivery adds an edge to the vocals, as he sings things like, “I know I’m fake / But I don’t regret smashing that glass over your face,” or, “My mouth is looking for a cigarette or sucking face.” “Nobody Can Stop Me From Crying” is an ear worm. The mix is excellent, with distorted bass and in-your-face drums put upfront. The guitar on the hook leads perfectly into the equally catchy chorus that will have you singing along. This tune also builds well, ebbing and flowing in a way that doesn’t let its catchiest moments become stale. “Always Blu” is a surprising face-melter. Its spine is jazzy, but between the verse are screeching guitar and banging drums. The juxtaposition between sections makes this track exceptionally engaging. There are some moments throughout I Feel Sick & That Was Weird that feel unnecessary or out of place. At 24 tracks, the album runs over an hour, but many of the songs are less than two minutes. While most are good songs, they feel like filler. And the song “Loser Like Me” is one of my favorite tracks, but it sounds like it belongs on a separate album with more songs like it. I can see how others may feel differently about these songs given I Feel Sick & That Was Weird’s unruly nature, but a more streamlined approach would have made the album’s highlights shine. I Feel Sick & That Was Weird is like a mad scientist’s experiment, with continually shifting hypotheses yielding intriguing results. However, despite its inconsistencies, this album is really good. There is a strong sense of confidence in Hora Bora’s songwriting and production aesthetic, which has me excited for whatever they do next.
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