P-Vock's Music Box: Bean Juice

Hello and welcome to P-Vock's Music Box. I don't know about you, but I could really go for a nice cup of coffee right now.

I just love coffee. The calm heat of the mug. The intoxicating aroma. The way it fills me with warmth and relaxes me. It is easily my favourite beverage and I would consume nothing but coffee if it weren't dehydrating, addictive, bad for my stomach, and likely to destroy my stomach lining and cause my heart to stop.

Honestly, nothing beats a nice cuppa. Imagine if someone made a video game all about coffee...

Coffee Talk is a masterpiece. The idea of the game is simple: in an urban fantasy rendition of Seattle, you own a coffee shop that is open late and are to serve beverages as you converse with the patrons. Struggling human writers, star-crossed interspecies lovers, and orc game developers struggling with toxic fans and demands are just some of the wonderful characters you meet in this lovely little cafe. The gameplay consists of making coffee and talking, so it is quite fitting that the music is also extremely chill.

You ever had a piece of music that caused you to smell things? I swear that I smell coffee whenever I turn on Coffee Talk and am greeted with this lo-fi jam. That sexy bass just feels as rich and full as a nice brew, and I simply don't tire of this music even years after first experiencing this game. A Day with Coffee is what you are greeted with as soon as you turn on the game, and I think it sets the mood of an incredibly chill cafe absolutely flawlessly.

Though, some may come to such an establishment after a rough day...

At first, I thought this was kind of rough. The stops and starts and almost dissonant notes felt somewhat harsh and offputting, But I now view this track in a totally different light.

It's broken. It's as if someone just took some of the notes and melodies and simply split them apart. There were once together and now they're just, not. Just like many of the people frequenting this establishment in their free time.

While still maintaining the vibes of Coffee Talk's stellar OST, composer Andrew Jeremy manages to have Rough Day stand out in a great way that definitely captures the mood of the situation. Definitely one of my favourites in the game.

Something may be separate, broken, or apart, but that doesn't mean it isn't still great. At least, that's what I feel when I listen to Gleefully right after Rough Day. Another simple beat that employs a lot of what I feel Rough Day while sounding much more optimistic and gleeful (shut up, I'm not sorry).

I definitely have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to music, but I'm still going to ramble on in a pedantic and pretentious way. If this doesn't perfectly capture coffee culture and the vibes of those who claim to be coffee connoisseurs, I know not what does.

Coffee Talk is the kind of media I just cherish. It is a simple idea that knows exactly what it wants to be and captures that idea exceptionally well. Often, I talk about games that I know no one else wants to play or cares about. Coffee Talk, however, is a game I think anyone will enjoy. It's a simple and relaxing time that just feels good to experience. Get a warm mug of your bevvy of choice, chat up the patrons, and listen to their woes as you serve them a cup. That's all it is and that's all it needs to be. You absolutely would not regret it.

I hope you enjoyed this relaxing little vibe-sesh and I hope to catch you back here next time with another suggestion from my Music Box.

Stay Brutal!

PS. Black is objectively the best way to drink coffee.