Giack Bazz – Just A Little Bit More Famous (2023)
For approximately 15 years (give or take), singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Federico Giacobazzi has been releasing music to the masses under the moniker Giack Bazz. He released his first single in 2008, but it was only in 2015 that he chose to release a well-received solo album, Childhood Dream. In 2018 he released his album Giack Bazz Is Not Famous, and a few years after that the experimental 30-track album Haikufy. Through all of this and the critical acclaim that followed, one element is similar on each album – Bazz’s exploration of human essence at its core. The latest addition to his discography is the album, Just A Little Bit More Famous.
In an interview with RGM, Bazz noted that Just A Little Bit More Famous is “…thought be a spinoff of my sophomore album Giack Bazz Is Not Famous…” Opening with ‘Through With Sick and Sacred Stuff’, we are introduced to the bold indie-rock tinge of sound. Interestingly enough, while there is a strong contemporary vibe to Just A Little Bit More Famous in the line of Eliot Smith and Phoebe Bridgers, Bazz adds a nostalgic flair to some tracks.
As I mentioned, the opening ‘Through With Sick And Sacred Stuff’ pleases indie-rock ears in a modern-day audience, yet nostalgia bursts through in ‘Rant’, ‘Like & Share Machine’ and ‘Who Am I Doing This For?’ Licks of the Beatles jangle-pop meet Supertramp indie-pop/indie-rock and a faint whiff of Buddy Holly’s energy on the piano in ‘Who Am I Doing This For?’
Frantic and chaotic, you can easily get up and dance while singing along to the aforementioned songs; however, Bazz showcases his eclectic style by placing these bubblier tunes alongside rather experimental tracks. Obscure and distorted, tracks like ‘Indie Love Song’ and ‘No Hard Feelings’ spear a sense of discomfort to Just A Little Bit More Famous. What I find intriguing about these disconcerting songs is how they incorporate vulnerability, fear, passion and a little bit of shock building a multi-layered arrangement of awesomeness.
It is difficult to choose a favourite song from Just A Little Bit More Famous, but I think mine is ‘Oh No’. It brings a taint of Cat Stevens with some brashness of Nick Cave…so you can imagine what type of “death ballad” oddity is heard. It is this that truly showcases Bazz’s overwhelming natural talent and innovativeness as an artist.
For more from Giack Bazz, check out his Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
