Bashful - 'Til It Makes You Sick

Does life have you feeling rundown? Like you’re no longer heading for an adult crash cuz you’re actually right in the middle of it? Bashful’s sophomore full-length, ‘Til It Makes You Sick, is the remedy. It’s a healthy dose of hyperactive punk, packed full of crunchy guitars, huge hooks, and sardonic-yet-stirring lyrics that make the case that somethings really are better out than in.

Masterminded by Richmond, VA-based songwriter Jake Guralnik, Bashful began as an outlet for making the kind of snotty, melody-forward guitar music that used to be called pop punk back when that was simply an apt descriptor rather than one of the most derisive things you could say about a band. The torch was lit by ‘90s greats like Green Day, The Muffs, Osker, and Sicko, carried through the 2000s by the likes of The Ergs, Tenement, or Dear Landlord, and now it’s been picked up by Bashful. The band released their debut record, Driving, in 2020, effectively chronicling early 30s ennui in a 20 minute punk sugar rush, but then something happened: more of the same. More life, more good times, more bad times, more work, more play (well maybe a bit less play), and more songs to try and figure it all out.

‘Til It Makes You Sick takes everything great about Bashful, and dials it up even further–not just the instant-earworm hooks, but the pathos too. Six years can go by in the blink of an eye, and early 30s ennui seems almost quaint compared to late 30s ennui. “If there is an overarching theme of the record,” Guralnik explains, “it’s feeling unsatisfied with where you are in life–you want to make the most of it, but you get bogged down by the little things. ”Opening track “Breaking In” takes this idea of feeling perpetually stuck and imagines it playing out like a heist gone wrong–you’ve spent so long trying to break into the house but you don’t even know what to do once you’re in. It’s followed by blisteringly fun tracks like “Bachelor In Paradise,” “Every Time,” or “Stolen Credit Card” which indulge in a bit of discontentment and wallowing with a big wink and even bigger melodies.

But it’s not all exasperation. On “Aches and Pains” and “In The Flood” Guralnik cuts through the mental muck to grab onto the connections that really matter. “It’s easy to feel completely disaffected and disappointed by everyday life,” he says, “but ultimately it’s possible to overcome the bullshit and find happiness in the people around you.” As the album comes to a close with the self-acceptance of “Cry Until I Die” you realize that ’Til It Makes You Sick isn’t some bitter pill. It’s more like a spoonful of that delicious grape Dimetapp you had when you were a kid–the taste is so sweet that you don’t even realize you’re getting something that you needed.