Broods’ rise to prominence has been speedy. So speedy, in fact, that they released their debut album in their home country of New Zealand last week, only half a year after their brilliant debut eponymous EP. Yet, as is the way with these things, the UK and other territories are left trailing behind (although the record is scheduled for release on 7 October in the US), with no set release date in sight.
However, not wanting us to miss out, siblings Caleb and Georgia Nott have shared album track, “Four Walls”.
The song doesn’t stray too far from Broods’ signature formula. Georgia’s airy vocals, accompanied by elongated piano chords, set the tone before drum machines and atmospheric production swirl around the delicate melodies. The inherent melancholy so embedded in their work shines through here, as Georgia sings: “You told me baby, I only think of you / and I said all I’ve got is a bunch of sad stories / and I told them all before the night was through / and you cried, oh, but hear now.”
There’s an elegance that Broods so easily capture with their quite often simplistic arrangements. But here simplicity is key; it allows the subtlety of their rich thematic music through. With “Four Walls”, the driving percussion synergises with the redemptive and healing quality of the lyrics, the slowly layered vocals wrapping around you like a comforting hug.
Unlike his work on Lorde’s debut, producer Joel Little allows for more ambience that perfectly compliments the Nott siblings’ perchance for melancholy. The result is graceful, tear-inducing and wonderfully healing.
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