Mogipbob – “Anything but Me”: A Genre Blending Album About Life, Growth and Self-Acceptance
Life itself can be frustrating, it can squeeze every bit of happiness in you at a moment and also bring dozens of it in the next moment. It’s crazy and can make you wonder whether you should wear bell-bottoms, chase vampires, or just stay on the porch and laugh at the absurdity of daily life, at the end of the day it makes you realize that normal is wildly overrated. You will mostly hear people saying oh this is normal bla bla, but when you look at it, see what they saying is normal, you realize nah it ain’t it. Canadian singer-songwriter Mogipbob captures that delightfully offbeat perspective on his massive third album, “Anything but Me“.
The album which was released few days ago through Mogipbob Records, is a sixteen-track collection that blend genre-jumping musical styles with sharp character studies. It moves effortlessly between country-soul, folk-rock, blues, funk, and western storytelling without any difficulty and that’s thanks to his talent and serious songwriting. He has been able to craft an album that carries a grounded, humorous themes where everyday life is an absolute circus, and the only way through it is to laugh at the absurdities while holding onto what truly matters.
And this is basically what we experience daily, sometimes you sit and reflect back on a moment ago where life was really harsh on you, your daily grind wasn’t moving and everything felt like you’re an absolute failure then out of nowhere, everything just felt good again, things moved and you’re where you are today. When you think back on those, then laughter pops, smiles everywhere and you realize it was anything but you, you held your grounds, didn’t give up and it all paid off.
If there’s sometimes I can say after listening to this project by Mogipbob, then all I can say is, it feels like sitting on a wooden porch in a small northern town, listening to an old friend spin wild stories about vampires, ancient solutions, and small-town eccentricities while a warm 1970s record plays in the background. It’s an album built on human-written concepts and lyrics with careful production choices bringing the arrangements to life, the music values authenticity and dry wit over polished perfection. See let’s take a quick look into some of the tracks and experience what I’m talking about.
Everyone has a way of begining their journey, and this track “Set-Back Out Back” welcomes us with a relaxed, rootsy groove that sets an easygoing tone. It leans into folk-rock textures, establishing a humorous atmosphere about everyday hiccups and the resilience needed to keep going. I like how it starts, it’s got that western cowboy strings and melodies that does justice to the song’s themes. It’s joyful and steadier, and set this sunset atmosphere really well. Makes you wanna pick a horse ride it and begin your journey. When life happens, take the set back out and be back in the game again, don’t let your guard down, be a fighter, push ahead and make sure you reach your destination.
We then transported into a funky atmosphere in “Hell’s Bell Bottoms“. This is high gear track that brings a funky, retro-soul bounce. It’s got some energy with it, driven by vintage groove patterns and witty lyrics about outdated fashion choices, it’s an instantly catchy highlight that makes you want to tap your toes. It’s got the juice and has the vibe. I mean look at our dresses today, everyone has gone back to like 50 decades ago, yet we say we are modern and we wouldn’t even keep our old culture, but here we are slaying those vintage dresses like we wanna live in those days. No body gets to choose the pair, everybody wears em the way they want it. This track also comes with a beautiful music video on YouTube, do check it out and enjoy it!
On “As Is Where Is” we are treated to a grounded, blues-infused storytelling style, that captures the raw essence of practical compromises. I love this track, it feels dusty and authentic, matching lyrics that deal with taking life exactly as it comes. What can we do when we’ve given our all and still nothing’s moving? We’ve just gotta accept it, and let it go. Sometimes you’ve to learn to watch and let things be as it is. We all start somewhere and will definitely end somewhere, so accept what comes, make the best of it and move on.
At a point in time, we all get to know that “Some Things Never Change“, and this track slow things down for a moment of reflection. The track touches on nostalgia and memory. The way those warm acoustic guitar strums and gentle keyboard chords create an intimate space that feels like looking through old photographs on a rainy afternoon is really magnificent. It feels like home alone, when the kids have grown, everyone’s moved on, the town has grown but you see that your favorite spot? Or that sweet scent when the rain falls? They never change, those memories never fade. Even if you leave that town and travel, your memories will always pick up things when it happens and remind you! At the end of the day, every man must make his choice, cos even the things we think we left behind are the very things that shapes us, like our parents giving us those pep talks, life lessons and all. It’s a sweet track and it’s lovely.
A clever blend of folk-rock and wry humor, is the track “Modern Person, Ancient Solutions“. It’s a track that tackles the comedy of trying to fix high-tech problems with old-school mindsets. Yeah it may work, but sometimes also fail. Our world is really moving at a faster pace, so sometimes you wonder where the old traditions went, people don’t even meet in person again. People sit behind their screens, enjoy their convos and kiss goodbye to the evening. I love how bright the production feels, the song is really engaging, and packed with dry wit. “Impartial Marshal” brings tons of classic western film scores and dusty blues with it. It’s a slow, steady track with a marching pulse. It paints a vivid picture of small-town justice and quiet observation without taking itself too seriously.
Oh don’t tell me you hate Sundays, when they probably have the best drives. “Sunday Drive” offers a breezy, nostalgic escape, where it feels like rolling down the car windows on a warm afternoon. Take that stroll, take that drive around, enjoy the scenery, enjoy the mountains and live life. Go where you wanna go, explore, there’s no stop time, no finish line and enjoy that Sunday drive. Those light keyboard melodies and acoustic picking create a relaxed, comforting atmosphere here and it’s really a vibe. Everyone will probably love this track and if they do, I would understand why. It’s the perfect track for your road trips, late night drives and your hot afternoon drives as well.
We are taken back to a deeply reflective mood on “The Old Me Was The Young Me“. A track that examines identity and the passage of time. You get gentle instrumentation and heartfelt vocal delivery giving the lyrics plenty of space to resonate emotionally. When we think about the choices we made back in the day, then sometimes we feel maybe life would have been different if we knew the things we know now and probably we would have made a different choice. But now we ain’t that young guy again, and this time we gonna make it work.
In life, by the time some people will understand that “It’s The Little Things That Matters Most” then it may be too late. This is an emotional anchor for the second half of the album, the track delivers a warm, soulful reminder about what makes life worth living. If you can’t enjoy the simple stuffs of life, then sorry to tell you, but life doesn’t deserve you. You don’t have to get a big win to feel happy, you don’t have to own a car first to feel happy, a little progress is enough. The little smile from your kid is enough, the joy of seeing someone happy should illuminate you and this is life. It’s an acoustic-driven production that feels intimate, honest, and comforting. It goes on to tell you that life ain’t always about the big days, sometimes returning home to even meet someone waiting for you is enough.
Okay, now we kiss goodbye to a beautiful journey with the title track “Anything But Me“. It wraps up the journey with a thoughtful blend of storytelling and introspection. It challenges self-judgment and encourages a wider, more forgiving perspective on life. What is life if we can’t be who we wanna be? What is life if we can’t do what we want? Why should we even be anything but ourselves? Live life the way you want it, enjoy it the way you want, and always challenge your thoughts, don’t run away from who you are, and stop being people’s puppets!
Such a great way to end the album, to me this is one of the best albums out there, though it creative process are entirely human and some tech tools, you can’t deny the how robust, beautiful, and clean the songwriting is. Nothing feels lazy, everything is carefully made, to give you the edge you need, the feeling you need. To me, go give this album “Anything but Me” a listen, it offers a breath of fresh air in modern independent music. It delivers incredible genre variety, clever humor, and a warm, human storytelling style that will keep you entertained from start to finish. Stream “Anything but Me” and take a walk on the offbeat side.
Enjoyed it and want more from Mogipbob? Check him out on the links below;
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