NOBODY’S HOME: ALBUM REVIEW
In his long-awaited debut project, UK-based singer, model, and creative, Bakar demonstrates an emotionally charged manifestation for oneself and your loved ones.
Bakar is a jack of all trades. An artist in every sense of the word that seamlessly skates on the lines blurring genres.
Born from Yemeni and Tanzanian descent and raised in the streets of Camden, London, Bakar has never shied away from expressing his cultural identity in a predominantly white creative space. Exploring the realms of modeling and music, Bakar found a talent for music very early on, releasing chopped-up remixes of his favorite music on SoundCloud. This evolved into releasing official music in 2017, where the London singer found success through the single “Big Dreams,” which was immortalized by being included in the Fifa 19 soundtrack.
Bakar’s music has always been a heterogenous blend of hip hop, punk, and alternative rock with his eclectic voice carrying a groove that’s friendly to listeners of any audience. His first mixtape and EP Badkid and Will You Be My Yellow demonstrate his formidable talent for blending genres and songwriting. 2022’s Nobody’s Home sees the London musician growing on this foundation and incorporating incredibly sad lyrics and themes, but through melancholically optimistic virtues.
Nobody’s Home is a powerful exploration of identity and reflection on one’s goals, taking an alternative punk approach in tandem with Bakar’s usual simplistic singing over a guitar melody. The album opener, “Noun,” sets the tone for the entire album: very melancholic in nature, but you wouldn’t call it sad. Followed is “Youthenasia,” a sobering reflection on the singers career and personal relationships coming to light, but over a more upbeat instrumental. The entire album carries this very positive energy without the annoying cheerfulness all while containing some of the most dejected lyrics from the singer.
The next two songs are the highlights on the album, as they work as the best two-song run that conjoins the central themes and narrative of the entire project.
Bakar is of Yemeni and Tanzanian descent, and he doesn’t shy away from expressing his struggles growing up Brown in an oppressively white space. Instead, he embraces his cultural heritage and reflects on what it’s taught him. “Reclaim” and “The Mission” explore Bakar’s upbringing and bring to light this desire that most immigrant families have of creating generational wealth. To be an immigrant is to seek something far greater beyond what your circumstances could provide for you. To be an immigrant is to plant gardens that you will never see the fruits of. “The Mission” states this desire in its most raw and unrelenting form. “Yeah, son of an immigrant / Tell my unborn son, tell my unborn daughter / Tell her that's the mission, yeah / Are you crazy? All I ever hear is people talkin' about how bad nepotism is / do you know how badly I want some nepotism in my life?”
Following this desire to create wealth for your family is “Reclaim!”, an alternative produced mantra about manifesting what you want and what you deserve, laying the foundation that Bakar would eventually build his career on. The two can be seen as the narrative start of the album in contrast to the final two cuts on the album, where Bakar brings it all back in to reflect the current state of his family, love life and professional career. “Gotham” is the gritty reflection on how he’s gotten to where he is in life and if it’s currently what he wanted or really needs, while “Build Me a Way” is the optimistic send off.
Narratively, Nobody’s Home feels complete, having a clear take off with its themes and tying it back together for a musical moment of closure; but it isn’t without some rough edges. There are little pockets on the album where there’s a sudden beat change or die down of the music, and although some moments, such as the outro to “Not From Here” & “GP,” have grown on me, some leave a bitter taste as they ruin the lasting impact of the song. The prime culprit of this is the last 20 seconds of “Build Me a Way.” With the album having a strong start and finish, the middle section has a few songs that just don’t stand out very much and don’t leave a lasting impression.
Bakar’s debut album is a cultivation of the championing immigrant spirit and influences from multiple musical genres. Carried by his quirky yet charming cadence and ability to create euphoric harmonies in his guitar ballads, Bakar is destined to fulfill his mission and leave a musical mark that will inspire his kin and their kin alike, building something far greater than he could ever imagine.