Song of the Day: “Weird New Vocation” by Computer
Frustrating, yet strangely hypnotic.
Computer’s newest offering, Station On The Hill, is an album for people who find comfort in the hum and rattle of an automatic garage door opener. It is a confident, slightly aloof step forward for Computer, proving that they are more than just a band with a Google-proof name. They’ve managed to make music that sounds like it was assembled by machines but still feels deeply, awkwardly human. It’s a glitchy, twitchy triumph that demands a listen—preferably on a pair of headphones you found at a thrift store.
Showcasing an 80s writing sensibility paired with 90s heaviness, the album feels less like it was recently recorded in a studio and more like it was salvaged from a hard drive found in a flooded basement circa 1994. The band has doubled down on their “analog-heart-in-a-digital-chest” aesthetic, delivering a collection of tracks that are as cold as a server room and as catchy as a cold in winter. There is a persistent, mechanical pulse underlying every track, creating a sense of forward momentum that feels both urgent and entirely aimless. It’s the perfect soundtrack for staring at a progress bar that has been stuck at 99% for three hours—frustrating, yet strangely hypnotic.
The crown jewel of the tracklist is “Weird New Vocation.” While the rest of the album occasionally wanders into heavy angst or the tall weeds of experimental noise, this track heads more in the direction of jittery, anxious pop. What makes it truly interesting is the interplay between the vocals and the instrumentation. A wobbly, unstable saw-wave melody dances over the top of a heavily syncopated drum beat. They lean into the “tongue-in-cheek” spirit of the band, detailing the mundane horrors of “synergy” and “pivoting” with a deadpan delivery that would make a corporate HR bot weep with envy.
The Song
Spotify:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/song/weird-new-vocation/1842954172
The Album
Spotify:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/station-on-the-hill/1842953935
The Band
https://computerisaband.bandcamp.com/