By Martin Castro (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: September 10, 2014
Hailing from New Zealand, Broods is made up of siblings Georgia and Caleb Nott, with Georgia on lead vocals and Caleb contributing production and backing vocals. Their debut album Evergreen was released in August.
Almost all of Evergreen has a very liquid, calm sound. If ever you’re travelling at night — in a plane, a car, or perhaps one of those ridiculously decadent trains they’re so fond of over in Europe — I would recommend Evergreen to serve as the soundtrack to your voyage.
“Bridges,” one of the record’s lead singles, was the song that introduced me to the New Zealand duo, and is a great example of just how well Georgia’s incredibly intimate vocals work when accompanied by her brother’s modern, spacious production. As I listen to “Bridges,” I almost always find myself rocking along with the beat by the end of the song; the chorus is sublime.
“Everytime,” the second track, is as airy and has the same aesthetic qualities that make “Bridges” such a ridiculously great track, but it also packs more of a punch: it’s got more angst, a faster pace, and is full of energy. The chorus is particularly striking, as Georgia again delivers a chilling combination of her distinct timbre and the intense power she puts behind it.
In comparison to the rest of the songs on Evergreen, “L.A.F.” is more upbeat and less emotional, but this doesn’t make it any weaker a track. There are instances of great poignancy within the song, but at the same time the track itself is almost playful at times.
“L.A.F.” is succeeded by “Never Gonna Change,” one of the best tracks on the album. Starting out quite slowly — one might even say hesitantly — the track showcases all that is good about Broods: Caleb’s overlapping, pulsating production provides ample space for Georgia to deliver her lines, while a heavy synth underlines the vocals in the chorus. As many times as I’ve heard this song (and I’ve heard it countless times; it was probably the first song of theirs I ever heard), it still does not get old, and my head unconsciously bobs as soon as that chorus kicks in.
“Four Walls” is even more tender and stripped-down than “Never Gonna Change.” The track comes across as a representation of some very personal feelings. It almost has a spiritual leaning to it, and it’s quite soulful.
The album comes to a close with “Superstar,” which was produced by Joel Little, who produced Lorde’s “Royals.” The song has the same aesthetic as “Royals” in some parts, but is overall more laid back, lending itself more to Georgia’s vocals quite well.
Evergreen proves to be a solid debut album from one of the more talented duos in R&B-influenced-pop at the moment.
