Why BOO Are the Perfect "Responsible Adults" of Synth Pop
In "Responsible Adult" by Battery Operated Orchestra (BOO), I find everything that makes for great synth pop. For me, the song sits somewhere between the modern sound of Ladytron and the naive Depeche Mode aesthetic of the early '80s. Scattered throughout the track are numerous little blips and blops, as well as slightly eccentric samples, while the driving beat gets my feet moving and grooves along perfectly.
Brigitte Rose's vocals are simply perfect and brimming with energy. Lyrically, she grapples with the "police in your head" and the burden of responsibility – a stark contrast to the danceable sound. I'd also like to give a special mention to the simple yet perfectly executed music video. Without any flashy effects (apart from the random fire!?) or unnecessary AI clutter, the song is visually brought to life with minimal effort.
By the way: One more thing about the music video. Stairwell, red shirt, and black tie – who doesn't immediately think of the sound engineers from Düsseldorf in the '70s?
Lyrics of "BOO – Responsible Adult"
As the responsible adult in the room
I feel it’s my duty to say
There’s something very wrong with this picture
No satisfaction at the end of this play
As the responsible adult in the room
I feel that it’s time that I said
Everything will come together
If it wasn’t for the jail in my head
And your head – but
Please don’t tell me
This is fine
The whole world is
Built on
The crime behind you
A trail of the dead
Hexaflouride and lead
A trail of the dead
As the responsible adult in the room
You’re holding everyone to account – call me
Just a common landfill songbird
And I don’t know what nothing’s about
About
There are cops inside my head
So I never fully comprehend
I just sing words that you allow
Me to understand
Like love et cetera
Don’t tell me
This is fine
The whole world is
Built on
The crime behind you
Please don’t tell me
This is fine
The whole world is
Built on
The crime behind you
A trail of the dead
Hexaflouride and lead
A trail of the dead
In my head
A plastic spoon
In my head
A plastic spoon
In my head
A plastic spoon
