Bob Ross Mob Boss Grapple With Their Past and Present on Everything's Chrome in the Future
“Crop Top Core” band Bob Ross Mob Boss lead with the heart and the reverb on their new EP Everything’s Chrome in the Future (out 02/07).
photo by Hazel Jacobs
The tumultuous new EP from Bob Ross Mob Boss, Everything’s Chrome in the Future, introduces itself with a disarming self-awareness. Vocalist and guitarist Bray Fischer sings “again and again I recall/the gravity of my own fall” on the opening track ‘Barricade’. The four piece are propelled forward by a heart-on-your-sleeve approach, their emo influence evident in their collective ethos. On ‘Never Meant to Live’ vocalist and guitarist Aaron Mylungs sings “and I know that I wanna stay alive/but sometimes I don't try” with a teen angst that has morphed into adult depression. There is a desire to get better on Everything’s Chrome in the Future, but recovery is never a linear process; self care goes out the window when simply existing another day feels overwhelming. Nick Howe’s drumming accentuates the latter half of the track, pummeling over the vocals and muscling the song forward before allowing the guitars to cauterize the end. This EP is swathed in fuzz with guitar solos baked in and prolonged outros adding a final flourish. Bob Ross Mob Boss’ music is perhaps the opposite of no nonsense, their generous use of reverb being one of their more distinguishing traits. On the other hand, they feel so deeply it’s almost brutal. ‘Honestly, Honesty’ emerges from toxicity, navigating how to trust anyone’s word after becoming so used to dishonesty and neglect. The track is plucked out string by string, staggering in and out of a metal guitar hook before Emme Krofta pulls back the commanding bass and allows for the lens to refocus on Mylungs’ drawl. Everything’s Chrome in the Future is textured, steely guitars rushing in with an in your face bass. The band is careful to choose which transitions are seamless and which bum rush you. They’re masters in tonal changes, weaving their love for the fuzzed out and fried with their post punk inspiration. This adds to the EP’s consistency, creating new languages out of previously frayed genres. The guitars ping off each other for a twang that manages to complement the painstaking lyrics. It surges forward, honest and pulsing, the band paying respect to what’s kept them alive this long. Bob Ross Mob Boss self describe as “chronic oversharers” and that’s more than apparent here. ‘I’m Ok (I Promise)’ drifts in, a poetic controlled burn. “It's the softly falling snow settling in the trees/it's a deep night forest of evergreen” harmonize Fischer and Mylungs. The moments where Fischer’s gravelly baritone intersect with Mylungs add dimension, bolstering their narratives instead of overwhelming them. ‘What’s Past is Prologue’ is a track scored by self sabotage, the band grappling with a grief they feel for themselves. A wavering, elastic guitar solo carries us into a warped interlude. “I thought that I would know me better/after all this time/turns out I hurt me the most”, the sound turns haunted, distorting Emotional Dorm Room into Shoegaze Inspired Shredder. Everything’s Chrome in the Future lingers, it’s not immediate but drawn out, inviting you to step in and wallow and be bandaged. On the emotional anchor of the album, ‘Pressure’, Fischer is left to carry the vocals. But they seem to take the burden with pride. It’s the first time they sound in control, giving the EP a perfect character arc. “I love the ride/but I fear the crash” sings Fischer- when you are finally able to depart from the sadness and toxicity you’ve become accustomed to it can feel like waiting for the other shoe to drop. The guitars are metallic and syncopated, taking over the bass. Eventually the rhythm crashes into itself before fading out. Though many chronic oversharers tend to suffer from word vomit as well, Bob Ross Mob Boss are intentional, the six songs satisfying the same as a full album. The band coaxes out each track, letting us marinate in it. Though I’m not a proponent of long songs Bob Ross Mob Boss have created something worth the wait. They’re never killing time but taking us in for as long as they can before having no choice but to move forward.
photo by Billie Wolf
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Bob Ross Mob Boss will be playing an EP release show at the 7th st. Entry on February 16th