Bakar — Halo — Album Review
Alternative | Indie
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
Bakar was someone that I (for a change) discovered pretty early o in his musical career. More specificly, it was through the discovery of his debut mixtape Badkid back in 2018 (his first geater project), that I first started enjoying Bakar’s music.
Through wholesome and nostalgic sounds, it was very easy for someone like myself to become quickly engaged with Bakar and his musical craft. And in the case of the aforementioned mixtape, I recall ranking it pretty highly as an iconic part of 2018’s musical year; a sentiment that still stays true to this day.
In the following year, Bakar’s debut EP, Will You Be My Yellow? arrived. And mainly due to what is arguably his most well-known single, “Hell N Back”, making its first project appearance on this EP, Will You Be My Yellow? allowed Bakar to gain a host of new listeners, a well deserved reward for so many wholesome tunes.
But how would Bakar follow up such a well-received and highly-praised EP? The answer would come to us in early 2022, in which Bakar had finally release his first studio album, which he had named Nobody’s Home. It felt clear that Bakar attempted to push that wholesome and stripped back feel present on “Hell N Back”, but with a somewhat somber and gritty vibe fused into the mix. The resulting product did feel a tiny bit hit and miss, with some tracks being too stripped back for their own good. Nevertheless, there were still definitely some cuts from Nobody’s Home that I enjoyed.
And now we arrive at the moment in time where Bakar’s sophomore studio album remains relatively fresh on the release schedule (with the amount of catch-up I’ve had to do post-holiday, I’m surprised that I even managed to reach this album review in relatively prompt time).
The title in question was given the name Halo, and was teased by a number of tracks; some of which I managed to give a couple of enjoyable spins.
Oddly enough, Bakar’s first tracks of 2023, “Good News” and “Pit Stop” didn’t make it onto the actual album, despite seemingly fitting with the overall aesthetic fairly well. Nevertheless, the true first teaser track came in the form of “Alive!”, a track with wholesomeness and warmth rife in both instrumental and vocals.
Following this, I also managed to catch the following teaser, “Right Here, For Now” (which I gave a spin or two while I was away on holiday). The nostalgia felt incredibly present in this tune, along with a festival ready (and again, warm) feel.
A small cluster of other teaser tracks (which slipped under my nose, somehow) were released before the album in full, and now that it had arrived, listeners can finally find out how Bakar had approached this project.
Similarly to Nobody’s Home, Halo, also attempts to home in on the wholesome aesthetic of “Hell N Back”. But contrary to the somber vibes of the preceding album, Halo does a much better job at this in my opinion, given its noticeably warmer vibe (not to mention that “Hell N Back” makes its second appearance on a project; that, of course, being at the end of this album).
There is still a bit of a hit-and-miss feeling I have towards this album, but not nearly as strongly as the last. Ad while the aforementioned teaser tracks do stands as some of the albums better moments, there are plently of great new tracks to enjoy too (including the penultimate track “To Open My Heart”, which is arguably my favourite track on here).
In conclusion, Halo feels like another step in the right direction for Bakar, with the development upon his super-warm aesthetic being more than present.
Favourite Tracks: Alive! | All Night | Right Here, for Now | To Open My Heart
Least Favourite Track: I’m Done
Black Butter
