Bakaric releases 'The Reign Of The New Me Pt. 1'

Bakaric, also known as Jon-Paul Bakaric, has released The Reign of The New Me Pt. 1 and the title might be a spoiler alert: this musical effort does feel like an attempt to do something new in the growing music space. Bakaric combines new age electronic elements with rock 'n' roll to create his unique musical sound which is showcased throughout the album's five tracks.

The first track might throw fans off. It has a similarity to acts like Linkin Park or Papa Roach. The song does feel like it could have been featured on an early Linkin Park album but Bakaric is trying to recreate this type of music with his interesting vocal range and ability to pair that with unique instrumental choices. It seems like an odd pairing at first -- his vocal range is deeper and doesn't have a wide range -- but how he frames his voice is what makes the track complex and interesting.

The Reign Of The New Me Pt. 1 opens with "We Are The Scene." It does feel like a rock song that has had some EDM elements added to it, but this shows the potential of what Bakaric could become. The album does nicely flow from song to song and each gets better when it comes to lyrics and composition. However, it lacks the feel of being something brand new and innovative, like the title suggests.

The song that shows the most potential in Bakaric as an artist and musician is "Take Me Away." It has a more subtle tone and highlights his passion behind the music, while also having a futuristic tone, which is different than the other tracks featured.

It is clear after listening to this album that a strong producer could help enhance this musical sound and highlight more of Bakaric's talent and storytelling which comes across in his impressive lyrical writing, which is a standout feature on the album. However, he needs to be focused and fine-tuned in his work in order to compete in such a growing landscape. He will have to walk away from sounding so similar to Linkin Park and enhance his own personal sound which does come through on this record, just not strongly enough.