Barber for the Queen Album Review - FUCK BARBER FOR THE QUEEN

By Sienna Edwards

Barber for the Queen’s newest album FUCK BARBER FOR THE QUEEN is a highlight in the band’s catchy electronic-heavy blend of disco, psychedelic rock, and indie dance music discography. The group–Jean-Raphaël Côté, Zachary Beaudoin, Simon Boisseau, Matis De Koninck, and Mathis Beauséjour–prove themselves to be exceptional among Montréal artists in this release, an oxymoronic, concept-heavy dance record with somber and neurotic lyrics regarding a newly-broken relationship during a night out. The exceptional rhythms in these songs force you to dance along to lyrics that rival an intense therapy session, making this record a fascinatingly perplexing–yet incredibly fun–listen.

BFTQ’s visual style for this album release is largely reliant on memes, for example: the deep-fried effect on the album cover, the consistent digital manipulation of group photos accompanied with meme-reminiscent bold text, and more. This visual style is enticing for an internet-savvy audience, of which I’m sure theirs is. But, this irreverence is even more interesting when coupled with the stark melancholia of BFTQ’s lyrics.

The album begins with “STARSTRUCK,” which has lead singer Jean-Raphaël Côté’s electronically-altered voice explaining an encounter with a recent ex that leaves him spiralling. The energy of this song brings you to a late-night party–perhaps a classic Montréal house party or bar–with distracting music blaring, and yet nervous thoughts prevail among a group of peers and the one person you didn’t want to see. The band’s instrumentals and electronic slides largely match Côté’s thoughts, with sleek breakdowns offering time for contemplation, making this not necessarily a danceable number, but one for a pensive yet rapturous late night.

The house party continues with “MY HANG UP,” one of my personal favourites from the album. This song is the heart of the party, with extremely danceable beats masking somber lyrics. Côté sings about coping with sadness by chasing new things, not wanting the party to end and having to face his thoughts. But the song does end, fading into “NOTHING NEW,” a direct confrontation of the person who is the source of the problem.

“NOTHING NEW” keeps the tension of this encounter with a clear and consistent drum beat, wild piano-playing, and a droning keyboard. The lyrics contemplate taking this person back after the hurt they caused, yet also acknowledges this hurt and their continuing behaviour. We are faced with a lack of closure and confusion, being hit hard by the end of the song with a harsh drum beat that tells us these feelings aren’t truly over.

The narrator’s confusion continues in “I GOT ALL MY TIME,” a song that questions if the relationship really was that bad and considers a reconnection. This song belongs at the disco, the chorus having a care-free and romantic veneer over the pensive and muddled thought process within the lyrics. The dance beat draws from 70s pop music, particularly in the bridge, with a distinctly modern electronic drone and crackly sparks that carry throughout the song, making it the most single-worthy track.

“FIX THIS/, MISS THIS” continues the same sentiment, accompanied by Rose Perron’s vocals and French lyrics that add a distinct Québécois edge to the track. Perron’s lyrics seem to speak from the ex-partner’s perspective, revealing a different perspective of knowing the relationship is irreparable. She says throughout the song: / Je sens que je te le répète encore / Tu mes préfère les yeux bandés (I feel like I’m repeating myself to you again/ You prefer me blindfolded). This is a revealing track explaining the dynamic between these two people, where it becomes clear the relationship must end because of growing resentment. The steady drum that pumps through the song from the first chorus reflects this dynamic, while the following fast electronic beat shows the urgency and chaos of the situation. Ending with a quick electric guitar solo, this confrontational song is dance-beat heavy and ready for the club. Following this, “FUCK BFTQ” is a fast and furious noise music instrumental ending with a monotone drone that feels exactly how the narrator must feel after the encounter. Being the title track, this song could be the prevailing theme of the album–chaos, regret, and confusion that fades into monotony.

“HOW I TURN OUT TO BE” continues the late-night contemplation by diving deep into regret while the narrator is surrounded by judgmental peers. The pitched-down vocals of the chorus and pumping beat feels dynamic, rather than how stagnant self-reflection can often be, and delivers another dance-pop number in which the narrator finally leaves the party and looks inward.

The cab ride home is marked by the acoustic “I KNOW WHAT I LIKE AND I LIKE WHAT I KNOW,” a somber track realising the ultimate end of the relationship. Côté’s vocals are altered to feel far away from the listener, as if he is strumming away in another room, and yet the lyrics are the most inward-looking on the album so far. This is followed by the rapturous “BREAK THE DEAL,” when our narrator realises and reflects on why the relationship ended and why this was a good thing (which our female narrator realized several songs ago). Though it is somber, it is also a joyous realisation reflected in the rising instrumentals in the chorus and fast-paced beat behind Côté’s pitter-pattering vocal style in the song

A sense of closure is finally achieved in ILL with its joyful and upbeat instrumentals. While it is not a song of total acceptance, it could be the equivalent for our self-defeatist narrator as he parses out his feelings and learns from the situation, / Growing old, blind / and not that wise /. This feels like the natural conclusion to Barber for the Queen’s night out, as we end on a hopeful sparkling instrumental with trademark electronic droning notes.

FUCK BARBER FOR THE QUEEN is Barber for the Queen’s third and most mature album, upgrading the melancholy upbeat dance-pop of their second album, Baba, into a fully fleshed-out concept record accompanied by an intense character study and disco-induced electronic psychedelia. Just like the band’s persona, this album hides behind a mask of irreverence–yet their interest in sadness and melancholia shows that the band is not only for the dance floor, but should also be considered for their skills in demonstrating emotional character study in song.

Album is available for streaming on all platforms.