"This Big Bad World Ain't Killed Me Yet" by Backbone & Scratch (Review)

Happy Valentine's Day, I hope you're all feeling the love today, and maybe we can all band together and donate some of that love to the band I'm reviewing today. Backbone & Scratch is a folk-punk band from Fort Worth, Texas, consisting of three members: 

Chum: Vocals, guitar

Clay: Drums 

Sadie: Bass

The band started off by releasing a small set of demos on Bandcamp in January of 2024, and then released their debut album "This Big Bad World Ain't Killed Me Yet" on October 1st, 2024.  The album holds eight tracks and clocks in at just shy of nineteen minutes long, making my life a whole lot easier when reviewing these pretty short songs.  I will admit, I had a huge folk-punk phase in middle school and high school but since then, I haven't been following up with the scene very much, however, I feel that if you've ever been through a folk-punk phase, you can't ever fully remove that piece of yourself. If someone puts on Days N' Daze or Pat The Bunny, I'm still singing every single word until my voice is trying to throw itself up.  I really respect the consistency across the album, the vocals seem to have the exact same effects from song to song.  It is quite impressive that Backbone & Scratch have already established their own sound and have stayed true to it throughout their entire debut album. 

Butt Fuck You:

The first track on the album is titled “Butt Fuck You”, a perfect folk-punk title, and being only a minute and twenty-five seconds long, there is no wasted time. As soon as the lyrics come in, there is a sense of inner turmoil and conflict. The band comes in sounding distorted and almost panicked. The lyrics “fire deep inside” and “carcinogens in my lungs” depict images of self-destructive behaviors. They paint a clear picture of someone who is in deep emotional and physical pain from their own behaviors, desperate for escape. This is furthered by the way they are sung; as they continue on, the vocals keep the same distorted quality that sounds like it was recorded on an Xbox 360 stock microphone that was THEN recorded on a 2007 Blackberry cellphone.  This vocal effect is consistent throughout the entirety of the album and I really love the creative decision and dedication to stick with it.  The way the lyrics are sung makes it almost feel as though the listener is experiencing this alongside the narrator, going down a rabbit hole of their self-destructive thoughts and getting more distressed the longer they think about them. One of my favorite lyrics from this track is “I’ve heard breathing’s supposed to feel good, please tell me when that kicks in”, it gives the feeling of being disconnected and no longer feeling as though life is meaningful or fulfilling. This track conveys a strong sense of wanting to change but being unable or unwilling and wanting to escape yourself. Ending this section of turmoil and self-hatred with “I’m just here to say I’m sorry, yeah I’m sorry, sorry I’m not sorry” which is followed up by a quick guitar break.  Lyrics like “I must love the taste of shit 'cause my teeth are always kicked by the boot” and “I know that my breath is rank, it's how I know you hear me when I say 'fuck you' ” sung in an almost seething tone. The writer is moving on from the self-loathing to lashing out at those around them, as well as holding space to still be self-deprecating.  This song is filled with raw emotion, which for many is cyclical. The self-hatred and the inability to change will eat away at them until all they have left is anger directed at no one in particular and everyone all at once. 

Big Machine:

Track number two is titled "Big Machine" (aka "Big Machine vs Justin Flea" on Bandcamp).  The song starts with power chords on an acoustic guitar, some fun opening percussion, prominent bass guitar, and an obligatory "FUCK!" before the official lyrics start.  Something worth mentioning as far as this entire album goes, the production is actually very well done for a folk-punk release, but there are creative choices made that still allow the grit and gunkiness of classic folk-punk to bleed through without it sounding too polished. For example, I previously mentioned the effects put on the vocals, but I'd also like to acknowledge how distorted and fuzzy the bass is.  Everything is mixed and mastered much better than a traditional one-take recording as a voice memo on someone's phone.  And while I am bringing up the bass, I'd like to acknowledge how upfront it is; it is easy to hear and Sadie is clearly having a hell of a good time playing it.  Instead of taking the easy route and just playing basic, boring root notes, the bass really takes on a life of its own and comes up with some really catchy and unique riffs that help the songs from sounding too similar.  The bass really brings a great level of individuality to each song.  A simple lyric that stood out to me for its comedic prowess is "I'm just this zit, didn't ask to be".  Shortly after this stanza, the band takes a quick breather for the bridge, focusing mostly on the acoustic guitar, a steady drumbeat, and subtle bass; that's when my favorite lyrics are sung:

"I got my guts beneath this metal

And my mettle v the man

Oh I like to think I'm punk but you know I'm a sham" 

I love the play on words with "metal" and "mettle".  The quick succession of alliterations are very well written with the Gs in "I got my guts..." and all of the M sounds throughout that entire chunk.  This is definitely my favorite part of the song, and this song is definitely one of my favorites on the album.  

Ah Shit!

Track three on the album is “Ah Shit!” at only a minute and forty-two seconds it’s another short one. This track also gives a sense of self-destruction, but this time in less of a mental and more of a physical way. The writer is physically destroying their body to deal with the misery of life. While “spilling your guts” is usually a way to say you’re telling someone your secrets or something personal, this track takes it further with lyrics like,

“There go my insides again

Watch 'em slip like whiskey flavored medicine

or like vomit right through my teeth” 

to say the same thing. This more visceral imagery shows how raw the aforementioned “spilling” is. The line “watch 'em slip like whisky flavored medicine” being the first sign of self-medicating. “There go my insides again” is repeated a few times in this track, each time following it up with more graphic details.  This escalation in vivid viscera allows the listener to feel that as time goes on it gets harder to keep everything in, and with each slip more comes out, eventually ending with an implosion. "All these drugs I take don't help me live any less miserably” is another example, upping the ante, on the themes of self-medicating. Throughout this track there is a continuous escalation up until the end with the line “I don't wanna be the sun”, showing how desperate the writer is to not continue on this path and cycle. They are holding everything in, just waiting around to die or implode is too much for them that even the substance abuse can’t distract from these feeling anymore. 

Mess of Flesh

The fourth track is “Mess of Flesh” which I think is a perfect title for this track. This track opens by giving intense imagery of overwhelming anxiety right from the beginning. Starting with lyrics that convey a sense of emotional and physical exhaustion and fragility, then showing clear nervous tendencies with lyrics like “these fingers have all been chewed to the bone” and “I don’t wanna keep talking, can we please go home”.  There are themes of frustration with both their physical and mental state, feeling stagnant and almost trapped in this situation. As the song goes on, there are references of spiraled thinking about what they are doing to their body in response to their anxiety. There are occasional reprieves from this when you hear 

“But this head, shoulders, knees and toes

Heart and lungs and skin and bones

Are all I really need to know” 

these lyrics provided a moment of groundedness in the sea of anxiety they are feeling. The listing of body parts allows them to see that no matter how broken they feel, they are still fundamentally whole and human. The song goes back and forth between getting lost in the anxiety and pulling themselves back to reality.  The final lyrics end with the album’s namesake, “this big bad world ain't killed me yet and that's all I really need to know” showing how grounding themselves and reframing their negative thoughts has worked, at least for now, and they are okay to go on and persevere.  

Heartbeats & Kickdrums: 

"Heartbeats and kickdrums" is the fifth track on this album and at just over three minutes, it is the second longest. It starts out with the lyric “I've been going to bed with a switch blade, I hope it guts me in my sleep” keeping with the visceral themes of the previous songs. My favorite lyrics in this track are

 “I’ve been learning from mistakes that I made 

But I won't change my bloody bed sheets

Run my head straight through her drywall 

I wanna taste her sheet rock in my skull” 

I really enjoy the cohesiveness of this album and the consistent presence of visceral depictions of spiraling. This lyric in particular shows how they’ve learned from their habitual dangers, yet the damage is already done, whether it be to themselves or to other.  What remains is still ultimately self-destruction.  

“I know I said I can't stand these cycles 

But I'm starting to think that I can see the future

It goes

Up, down, repeat

Chill out then freak

My heart it beats

So my body bleeds”

This recurring theme is present throughout the album: the cycle of hating yourself, leading to anger, eventually grounding yourself, and repeat. This song, like the song that precedes it, exemplifies these patterns, finally ending on a note that has you just as confused by the whirlwind and whiplash as everyone else.

Kill the Mountain Goats:

The title tells you everything you need to know about the song, especially when it starts out with the lyric “I wanna kill John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats and eat his brain like Gabriel Grey of NBC’s 'Heroes' ”. If you don’t know who Gabriel Grey is, or you're unfamiliar with the show "Heroes"(I also didn't know and had to Google it), this reference will go over your head and you'll miss the intricacies of what they’re trying to say here.  Context clues from the rest of the song help convey the main point, but the character Gabriel Grey is a serial killer that takes the brains of his victims to gain their powers.  In the following lyrics, we see examples of the narrator never fully learning from past mistakes

"But I'm all vulgar and discordant

Way more often than articulate

If given a pick, the carrot or stick

Every time I'm gonna take the switch”

Throughout this track you get the same self-deprecation you’ve come to know and love from this album. You get a real sense of how intense this envy and idolization is, wishing to be like them but never fully getting there. There is also acknowledgement of how they may be holding themselves back from doing what they want; but it ultimately feels easier for them to kill The Mountain Goats and eat their brains than it is to learn, grow, and develop their own songwriting skills.  

Molly:

"Molly" is a short song at only about a minute and a half, but they lose no time getting into it. This track is much more of an upbeat, almost playful, sound. Starting with the lyrics: 

“Molly got lost 

Molly got sauced

Molly bit Bob 

Then Molly saw God

Now Molly's got a bomb

Molly's got a gun

I think Molly just saved us all” 

This gives her an level of erraticism that really makes Molly feel larger than life. She flows from one extreme to another without ever coming to a complete stop. The lyrics are oddball and unpredictable, giving Molly the same qualities.  This unpredictability gives her an almost omnipotent quality. These contradicting characteristics allow her to be more complex and have more depth. The lyrics have a fun, chaotic energy that combines absurdity with a sense of awe, making Molly a mysterious and captivating figure. The combination of whimsy and randomness in lyrics such as

"Molly

Molly 

I want a girl like Molly

Golly

Golly

Wouldn’t that be gnarly” 

and a subtle undercurrent of deeper meaning here and there. 

Itchin’ :

The final and longest track on the album is "Itchin' ".  This track has vivid imagery of restlessness and need for escape. Right from the beginning they are describing breaking free with lines like “chew through the leash, hop the fence”, showing they want to escape restriction and run wild even just for a little while. Once the decision is made, it’s final and urgent “no turning back,  no slowing down for at least a couple miles”. This decision to pursue a great escape is so pressing that they get lost in the idea and concept and feel a disconnect from the usual chaos of life. While this feeling is new and exciting they question whether or not it will fulfill that deep longing for something new. The dog metaphor “and I'd love to be your dog with nothing in my skull” is poignant and speaks to the desire to be unburdened by the weight of existence, they want simplicity and surrender. Eventually this desire comes to a moment of submission where they finally accept that to truly become free there will be discomfort. They finally accept that running is not always going to solve everything and lead to a perfect life, but they embrace the ride not knowing what will come of it.

"And I'd have left a note if I knew what to say

I'd have come back home if i knew the way

But sometimes it rains and that river washes you away

I'm all smiles

At least I'm going out in style”

This is the final acceptance that escape is not the end-all be-all, but it IS still a means to an end.  A perfect ending to the album, tying up the themes of cyclical nature without fully ending everything. They are still the same person and will make similar mistakes but they have come to terms with it and are finally taking steps to do what is right for them. 

I am so happy to have the opportunity to discuss "This Big Bad World Ain't Killed Me Yet" by Backbone & Scratch.  Sadie and I have known each other for quite a while, throughout our various musical projects, and I'm very pleased to experience their brand new project and shine a light on this album!  I hope everyone gives it a listen, and if you're already a fan of folk-punk, you will absolutely love it! You can find all of Backbone & Scratch's links HERE! 

( https://linktr.ee/backboneandscratch )