"Ooh! Sumthin' New," is a bright groove where Burg introduces a protagonist who craves a change of pace–new surroundings, new people and more than anything, authenticity. The upbeat instrumental is juxtaposed by lyrics that critique the world around him, namely, the damaging effects of social media, and the world these apps fabricate. Over mellow guitar, he sings, "Let me hang out with your friends / These industry players always playing pretend / You’re an artist, and you look great / But your Instagram’s not a personality trait."
Burg explains the track, fitting in with themes of the forthcoming project, "...simultaneously celebrates and laments the rootlessness of youth. That contradiction is what this chapter is all about. A cheerful spirited instrumental is paired with lyrics of criticism and resentment. The world of social media makes the protagonist feel like a poser and a fraud, mostly because of how much they subscribe to and partake in its evils. The protagonist desperately wants a change of pace, which is ironic in the face of their desire for solid ground to stand on."
Swiftly, about half-way through the track, the pace of the track itself kicks into overdrive, with an electric guitar solo that rips through the previously soft vocals. In a move that matches the song's messaging, Burg adds, "I dare the listener to allow me to abruptly switch genres throughout the course of the song." He even rewards listeners who make it to the end by excitedly speaking over the instrumental like he's speaking to friends, "Now this part, if you made it to this part, man, then you made it to the best part of the song," concluding with a playful countdown and a smooth instrumental outro.
Charlie Burg's forthcoming 15 track LP, Infinitely Tall, is told in three chapters, each tied to a specific place–from his childhood house in Detroit, to college in Syracuse, and now, life in New York City. The project explores the various spaces in one's life that may make, break, shape and uplift, using lush soundscapes that blend genres and transcend location, age, space and time. In addition to co-producing the project with Mike Malchicoff, (Bo Burnham, Niall Horan, Kids See Ghosts and King Princess), Burg plays nearly every instrument on the LP.
Speaking to the chapter book structure of the album, Burg's goal was to design a body of work that mirrored the stages of his own life and the places that have shaped him throughout his life thus far, Burg explains, "I formatted this album in a three-chapter layout, with each group of five songs representing a different space in my life. The first is representative of the dreamlike nostalgia of one’s hometown; the second embodies a college house and the free spirit and recklessness of young adulthood; the third is city life, an ejection from youth into adulthood, and the endlessness that stretches out before you in the smoky urban expanses."
On the debut record, Charlie Burg says, "The album is a reflection on spaces – namely houses – and the ways that we are shaped by our physical surroundings. "Infinitely Tall" is a phrase from the final track of the album which was born out of a jam session with my friend Rebecca in my hometown years ago. As I reflected on the concept of the album that phrase accurately encapsulated the feeling I had when thinking about home. We might change. Home might change. But some things never die."
