by Scott Yohe
In the long and fruitful history of DIY rock, there has always been a constant tradition of bands coming together and making splits. It is a sign of mutual respect and adoration to make something together as one package to grace listeners with. Queensburgh by Baked and The Zells is the latest addition to the DIY canon of splits. Two of independent rock's heaviest hitters have delivered a special split that anyone will be able to appreciate. Queensburgh is two bands coming to terms with aging, and what it means to make music in the strange times that we live in.
The album starts with what they call “Side B” which is Baked’s side. It has been a while since we have heard anything new from the Brooklyn legends, their last effort 2018's II EP. Baked bring their usual fuzzed-out brand of indie rock on their four tracks. Songs like “Fish Tank” and “The Pits” deal with the emptiness of aging and how to get over that feeling. It never becomes clearer than on the third song, “Walkin’ Into” where lyrics like “I'm still hanging around/Bow down to the bar crowd” show how Baked is dealing with the fact they are still doing what they love because they love it, no matter how difficult it can become. “Side B” is filled to the brim with classic DIY sounds where everything sounds cooler than it should. They even dip into a sort of desert rock sound on the aptly titled “The Desert Calls”.
Queensburgh then transitions into what The Zells called “Side Z”. While they have been more active than Baked recently, they are still able to keep it fresh while staying true to the sounds they are known for. Their same brand of garage-influenced indie-rock is here. The Zells are coming to terms with growing up in a similar way that Baked seems to be, which is through the music. The Zells are a bit angrier and self-deprecating on “Side Z”. This can be seen clear as day on a song like “Electric Upside,” which includes lyrics that we can all relate to, “Sunday morning/Got me feeling empty again/Well I’ve been feeling older all the time”. The Zells seem to be challenging the lifestyle that is often accompanied by DIY music scenes while acknowledging their place in it.
Splits will always be something that exists in indie rock and it is fantastic that bands like Baked and The Zells are the ones giving them to us. If Queensburgh is anything, it is a testament that these kinds of things matter. One of the best ways to deal with any of these problems is through good music, as anyone who is into this sort of thing has probably felt the same things you have. Queensburgh is the perfect combination of two bands that are making it work in any way that they can, and you can’t ask for much more than that.