Before the release of “Anthems For A Lost Generation”, singer-songwriter Rico Friebe had released two acoustic albums. He originally recorded “Anthems For A Lost Generation” completely acoustically but then a shift in creativity was sparked. Following significant turmoil and struggle, Friebe felt inspired to modernize his sound by finding the best sounds and tones from the last 20 years of pop music and letting that influence the producing process. He crafted an incredible album that touches deeply on important themes such as the influence and role of technology and the internet on society.
“Over the past two and a half years, I got into contact with a generation, I’ve never got on my radar before – the so-called ‘Gen Z’. I met dozens of young people, talked to them, asked them about their everyday life, what they are interested in, what their hopes and wishes are. But especially Jennifer and Sophie stuck with me – it has been a great human experience, great talks. But then, Jennifer suddenly disappeared under almost criminal circumstances and later, knowing of that happenings, Sophie too – for different reasons, but in the end: The same reasons. It left me in total destruction, because I care, and in those times of silence and despair, I still wanted to say something, but I wasn’t made able to by talking – that’s when I started writing and recording “Anthems For A Lost Generation”.” – Rico Friebe
A title track kicks off the album. Immediately we are lifted into an experimental sound. We hear a high-pitched snare hit and incredible synthesizers that are sweeping across the speakers. A heavily effected vocal comes in to dominate the track. This synth heavy pop track is a great set up for the record, showing the listeners what is to come. The second track, “Bad Seed” follows the opener perfectly. This track features a vocal that sits center stage, so the lyrics could all be comprehended without any struggle. Heavy synths lift the production and make this slower-paced song danceable. “Bad Seed” sits like a ballad despite the fast-paced chorus synths.
“I Like Memes” is one of Rico Friebe’s personal favorite songs on the record and it is definitely one of Rock The Pigeon’s favorites as well. This song features a heavy synth bass that buzzes on the track and creates a sense of hyped up energy. The chorus contains a captivating hook melody that demands the listeners attention. Rico Friebe talks about how technology such as smartphones, tablets, and social media are taking over Gen Zers lives. Many youngsters in the Gen Z generation, and even older people, experience a sense of loss when they aren’t around their cellphones, a technology addiction is at play. Rico Friebe sings about this important topic throughout the song. Rico Friebe explains the inspiration below:
“When I asked Jennifer in September 2021, what she likes about the everyday life with her smartphone, she answered: ‘I like memes’. That made me kind of sad, because she was more than that, more than memes you’re swiping through and I know that social media was making her sad. The whole song actually is very dark and full of blackest irony and truth, but what stucks to me within the song is the power to fight a fight for something good.” – Rico Friebe
The song redo is a synth-heavy pop ballad with a super catchy hook line. The verses are delivered in a fast-paced rhythm, while the chorus is delivered very slowly and soulfully. The contrast of tempos gives the song a very magical feel. It feels like floating in outer space. “Games” fits the album perfectly. Low-toned synths provide a hook melody while the vocals focus on playing games, which we assume are video games, another technology addiction. This is a slower-paced song that feels dark in energy. The energy picks up to a more positive feel on the next song, “Images.” This song contains a unique drum beat that will hook the listener deeper into the sound of Rico Friebe. “Images” also contains a catchy hook melody.
“Lazy, Bored, And Sad” is another one of the artist’s favorite songs. This song features an electric keyboard and drum beat with snaps. In the song’s lyrics, he dives into the mind of someone who is unsatisfied with their life, and even bored with their life. The refrain goes: “I’m Lazy, bored, and sad, Spend all day in bed.” Rico Friebe explains the inspiration below:
“‘Lazy, Bored And Sad’ was the perfect moment throughout that album where I managed to capture that core feelings of a whole generation, especially coming from my experiences with Jennifer. Not that she was any kind of lazy or actually bored, but she repeatedly brought herself into that state of mind and in the end, she was just sad – over and over. I imagined her on a Saturday, just lying in bed, maybe smoking pot and missing the day, missing out on the whole world. That stuck with me.”
The pace picks up greatly with “Animals.” This song makes great use of special effects, sound effects, and more modern percussive sounds. The heavily autotuned vocals float on the track with catchy melodies. The lyrics are a bit hard to hear on this song, but the unique melodies make up for that. Razor synths buzz through the speakers, surrounding the listener with a truly epic sound. This song features some of the heaviest synths on the LP, making it one of the biggest sounding songs on the record.
Ethereal synth pads kick off “Abuse” before an extremely captivating electronic drum beat comes in. Rock the Pigeon thinks this track has the best drums on the record. This slow ballad will captivate every listener. This is one of the best songs on the record, for the highly catchy vocal melody, incredibly big sounding e-drums, and loads of emotion cutting through. This song also would have served as a great introduction to the record.
“Loose a Chance” features pulsating synths, strong effects, and a poppy vocal melody. Friebe also makes use of the classic sounding siren synth in this song. This fast-paced song urges the listener to start from the top of the record and hear it all again.
Enjoy it now on Spotify:
Written by Ryan Cassata
The post Finding Harmony in Chaos: Rico Friebe’s Messages to the Younger Generation appeared first on ROCK THE PIGEON.