Baddies - Bronto
Southend post-punkers Baddies have been around for a while - they first hit the scene in 2007, quickly generating buzz as a band to watch. Fast forward five years and Baddies have collaborated with their fans to release their next album, cutting out the middle man entirely. Somehow managing to accidentally (we assume) avoid becoming a huge success in the UK without any discernable reason, Baddies have clearly not allowed that to discourage them and have returned with a high-octane synth belter of an album - Build.
Rewire is the toe-tapping intro, diving straight into a mix of adrenaline-shot synth and scratchy guitar that make it literally almost impossible not to have a cheeky dance around the room. A slice of almost perfect electro-rock, Rewire is the sort of song that could just stay on repeat.
Man Made Man takes the example set by Rewire and runs with it. Bouncy lows serve only to emphasis the highs, with a rollercoaster mentality - hovering right at the top of the tracks before swooping into a stomach-turning drop. Taking the common form of pop and twisting it to an almost unrecognisable degree, Man Made Man sets the tone for the songs to follow - catchy melodies with just enough kick to stand out. Bronto is a frenzied rush of sound - "No, we're not going to turn the volume down, you'll just have to deal with it," yelps singer Michael Webster, in words that seem like they could belong to the Baddies' manifesto.
While it's unarguable that Baddies have evolved from their original sound on 2009's Do the Job, the fiercely catchy hooks and spiky sounds remain, now with an added electronic pulse beating steadily throughout every song.
Baddies have been labelled as all kinds of things by all kinds of people, but the best plan of action is to throw away all misconceptions, lay back and turn up Build as loud as possible. It's the kind of album that will throw you over its shoulder and carry you away if you're not careful - and maybe you should let it.