The brother-sister duo Broods have been on my radar for years… They had me hooked with 2014’s “Bridges” and then again on 2016’s “We Had Everything”. But once “Peach” was released in 2018, I knew this era of Broods would be different from what I’ve heard in the past. After being dropped by Capitol Records, the release of Don’t Feed The Pop Monster feels a bit like an FU to anyone who tore Broods down over the past couple of years.
Lead singer, Georgia Nott shed some light on this new chapter, “Our goal was to make songs that are true to us, without hiding behind any kind of façade…we worked really hard and went through a thousand different emotions in the process. The fact that we can feel so many different emotions and still make something that’s so true to us—to me that’s the most important part of this whole experience and we’re so excited to finally share this album with the world.”
Monster kicks off with the electric “Sucker”. Georgia’s wispy voice lulls you into a gorgeous alt-pop dream. Similar to an anthem we’d hear from singer Robyn , the lyrics repeat, “I’m such a sucker for everything.” Georgia references not being able to keep up with trends and what’s cool, singing, “I’ll always go back to the same old things, my Stevie and Sting.” “Sucker” is the perfect introduction to the changes about to come on the rest of this album.
“Falling Apart” sticks out with a captivating electronic sound paired with muffled vocals in all the right places. A slower back beat carries “Apart” as one of the slowest on the album while still able to keep you hooked into Broods’ ultimate musical trance. “Dust” feels like it could’ve been a Fleetwood Mac B-Side in 2019 with subtle repetitive guitars, a steady drum beat, and floating vocals (a la Stevie Nicks).
One of the most powerful tracks on the album is “Too Proud”. Caleb takes his spot as lead on this one, proving his singing ability is just as impressive as sister Georgia. “Proud” discusses depression and being too proud to express your true emotions. He sings with a punch, “Too many times that I’ve been too proud to let it out, when I feel it’s too much to handle.” Caleb said he wrote the song while experiencing depression between albums; “Last year, there was a period of time where there wasn’t anything going on, and I was just like, ‘F**k – what am I doing, why am I here? I just got really deep in my own hole. I didn’t even notice until I came out of it. That’s when I wrote it, when I was actually happier. Once you sit back and go, ‘oh, shit’, that was when I was able to reflect on how I was feeling.” Broods released the music video for “Too Proud” featuring a harrowing look into life with depression; “‘Too Proud’ is for everyone who has ever felt that stigma that mental health struggles are shameful. It’s NOT shameful… If you can relate to the feelings conveyed in this video & song please take care of yourself and don’t hesitate to reach out to someone who can help.”
This review is already way longer than I wanted it to be but I can’t help it…there are so many beautiful things to say about this album. Don’t Feed The Pop Monster ends on a euphoric note with the lullaby-esque “Life After”.
(Image via coupdemainmagazine.com)
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