Broods - Conscious

Rating:

Broods are going for it good and proper.

'Album' of 'the Week'

“Pop’s cool again,” Broods’ Caleb Nott told us when chatting about new album ‘Conscious’, “and that’s awesome.”

It doesn’t take a genius to work out why the New Zealand duo might be delighted that the Real Authentic Music With An Acoustic Guitar And The Sincerity Of A Baked Potato crew have been chased out of town. Conscious is an album designed for one reason. From the a cappella opening of first track ‘Free’, Broods are going for it good and proper.

While they may not have the iconic, singular sound of fellow sibling duo Tegan & Sara, Broods certainly sound like a band comfortable going big. Lorde co-write ‘Heartlines’ stands out as you’d expect - struck through the middle with that smoky, subtle DNA. Elsewhere, the ballads outnumber the bangers, but Broods have more than a passing talent for the former. When they do go for the hook, like the chorus to ‘Couldn’t Believe’, they rarely miss their mark.

More immediacy might shoot their star even higher, but one thing’s for sure; pop is only getting cooler. Stephen Ackroyd