Album Review: BROODS - BROODS EP

I first wrote about Auckland siblings BROODS back in December when I heard their track "Never Gonna Change" and I admit I instantly fell in love with them. After a little digging, I found  initial release "Bridges" with its huge chorus coupled with gushing and ambient orchestral sections an absolute joy to listen to.

A couple of days ago on January 30th, the duo dropped their six track self titled EP seemingly out of the blue, causing mass bewilderment, excitement and anticipation. It's available to listen to in its entirety on Soundcloud (as well as just there, below) and will be available to buy as a digital download on February 4th.

The first thing you'll notice about BROODS is just how grandiose and spacious everything feels. Opener "Never Gonna Change" has the most tense slow build that leaves ample room for vocalist Georgia Nott to do her thing. With a voice as commanding as this, it's easy to see where the Lorde comparisons are being pulled from and calling them New Zealand's next big pop sensation is nothing short of a fact. Bounding straight off of its brooding predecessor (pun absolutely intended) is the gloriously upbeat "Pretty Thing" and whilst we're on the subject of comparisons, I immediately think of CHVRCHES "The Mother We Share" at the start of this track and it's a resemblance that thankfully never passes the point of tedium. By that I mean it's a true testament to the band that they can draw inspiration from the giants of their genre without ever stepping on toes, it's a great way to keep a track both unique and accessible.

It's worth mentioning at this point that the EP was co-written and produced by Kiwi song-writer and Grammy award winner Joel Little (who has also worked with Lorde on her album Pure Heroin) with "Bridges" being the worlds first taste of the partnership between him and BROODS. The track has gone on to amass in excess of 480,000 hits on soundcloud since its release in October and is arguably their flagship song. Not difficult to see why really, the track is a genius mix of electronic and pop with just the right amount of mainstream appeal thanks to Caleb Nott's masterful synths. Following up "Bridges" is the more sombre "Sleep Baby Sleep" with it's rolling beats and soft vocals, bursting into a chorus replete with a string section any ballad worth its salt would be proud of. "Taking You There" is the first glimpse of what a stripped back set might sound like, with the acoustic guitar accompaniment and joint vocal focus through the verse. I'd really like to see what they can do with this one live.

Bringing the EP to a close is "Coattails", my personal favourite of the new haul. With it's infectious darkwave feel and downbeat vocals punctuated by such an impactful two note riff. All in all, I think this EP is an incredibly strong starting point for BROODS and 2014 is undoubtedly going to see them go on to much bigger things. Watch this space.

In preparation for their first full length release expected some time around August, BROODS have announced their début US shows in California and New York so be sure to check out if there's a show near you.