Updating their hyperpop sound palette to include more alt-rock elements, 100 Gecs does bring a variety on ‘10000 Gecs’ with even more manic intensity to boot, yet it suffers with fewer special hooks and even fewer special songs.
100 Gecs came in at the perfect time in 2019, the time when PC Music's abrasiveness has splotched itself around further in the mainstream due to the emphasis on pop gloss expanding to a spotless sheen. It was the time when the term ‘Hyperpop’ hadn’t fully manifested, only until 100 Gec’s debut album ‘1000 Gecs’ led to a shift in how the PC Music abrasiveness was handled within a different demographic; for PC Music, it’s for the pop visionaries that do want to change how pop melodies can stand on a different sonic footing, yet for 100 Gecs, it’s for anyone that wants to let their creative sparks fly as ‘1000 Gecs’ shows that the abrasion in production and genre fusion is just easily done everywhere else, where abrasion is an element that can be accessed upon and put their twist and flair on it.
Multiplying the number of gecs included in their sophomore project, ‘10000 Gecs’ expands upon the free-wheeling manic pulse-pounding that the duo lay upon on ‘1000 Gecs’, their hyperpop blasts embedding even more alternative rock elements on the table that supplements their knack for candy churning melodies. ‘Doritos & Fritos’ is an immediate stomper where the trashy barrage of electronics amidst punchy grooves and the warped guitar solo at the end provides a platform for Laura Les' shouts and Dylan Brady’s warbling to end up lively. ‘Billy Knows Jamie’ elevates their bewildering energy to another level of ferocity, where they manage to ride upon nu-metal swerves that charge like a bull in a china shop, just before the metalcore breakdown comes in with pummeling jabs and swings. ‘Mememe’ and ‘Hollywood Baby’ are explosive in sound that mix both lanes in one go, the former’s jaunty ska progressions on the verses caterwaul to the synthetic repeating “no no no” chorus and the latter’s compressed riffs and drums that firmly reloads to the crowd jumping melodies. And ‘757’ with its buzzy electronic pads and modulating vocal effects turns towards the duo’s hyper pop roots, with the staccato melodies that never fail to staple itself to the board.
One thing about 100 Gecs is that they’re actually pretty nifty writers despite the shitposting display on ‘1000 Gecs’, where there are that underlying relationship dynamics wedged between the humor. ‘10000 Gecs’ follows suit in expanding a much more personal perspective for Laura Les, where even if they’ve now reached a glint of stardom, that doesn’t mean much when it comes to how Hollywood views Laura Les’ trans identity that ends up shutting her off instead of allowing her to speak up. That context is immediately brought up at the opener and closer of the project that hems in all the shitpost mangling into something a lot more serious, where the piss-take humor they’re known for has darker undertones this time around.
Besides that, there is something about this album that tries to replicate the batshit magic of their debut project while expanding upon their fun formula that ends up not sticking the same way. While it is enjoyable when it does pop up, their approach doesn’t reach the same propulsive melodic shrieks that ‘1000 Gecs’ has. From the ska-leaning tracks ‘I Got My Teeth Removed’ and ‘Frog On The Floor’ which feels more like a checklist than an exciting detour, ‘One Million Dollars’ where the Clown Core-esque jazz breakdown sounds meager, ‘The Most Wanted Person In The United States’ with the M.I.A inspired political sass goes nowhere, or just every single hook on the project that doesn’t stand out in the same way as ‘Stupid Horse’ or ‘Money Machine’, even if ‘Doritos & Fritos’ and ‘Billy Knows Jamie’ gets close.
Multiplying the gecs ten-fold where the bigger budget means something allows ‘10000 Gecs’ to become explosive in their alt-rock and hyperpop blending, lending sharper textures with Laura Les’ utilization of her expressive voice this time making these tracks crumble even harder. Yet, despite that variation alongside the nuanced songwriting, ‘10000 Gecs’ hits less from this duo where the shitpost humor, sonic retreads, and less memorable hooks make this a less special album from 100 Gecs as a whole. The fun that comes from this album is hit and miss on an overall scale, with just a tad few that explode out quality-wise from the rest that pop like damp dynamites.
Favorite Tracks: ‘757’, ‘Hollywood Baby’, ‘Doritos & Fritos’, ‘Billy Knows Jamie’, ‘mememe’
Least Favorite Track: ‘Frog On The Floor’