Tove Lo

With the release for their second album Conscious, brother-sister duo BROODS bring us a running tale, exploring themes of coping with a lost love, communicated via sweet electro-pop beats and strong lyrics.

The opening song Free sounds exactly like the title. The first thing we hear is the beauty of Georgia Nott’s voice as it sings a cappella, drawing us in and holding our attention. The upbeat track gives you the ability to dance like no one’s watching as the music washes over you like an avalanche, with lyrics dripping in strength and determination, as if they were written to empower us when we’re at our weakest. “I’d lose everything so I can sing, ‘Hallelujah I’m free, I’m free, I’m free, I’m free, I’m free’.” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDsxtBVLyss

Moving on to their duet with Tove Lo, Freak of Nature gives us something a little different from the other tracks in the album. As it began with a pretty little intro, it immediately became a standout track for me. The piano and synth combination was not one that I would have thought would sound as good as it does. The addition of the percussion provides another layer to what can only be described as an organic rawness mixed with a modern twist. The girls’ voices compliment each other so well, as the gorgeous sounds of these storytellers rise above the explosion of music.

This follows on to All Your Glory, which shines with a backing track that sounds like an organ. The slow song allows you to focus on the beautiful words and the emotion intertwined through the beautiful harmonies. It shows the difficult of letting someone you care so much about go, even after they’ve done the wrong thing. It focuses on the idea of allowing yourself to forget what they’ve done and forgive them to allow your relationship to go back to the way it was. “Don’t need an apology to make it right, I want you in all your glory.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUkUp6Yb5Go

The light harmonies between the siblings are back for Worth The Fight, following on from Couldn’t Believe. Worth The Fight’s heavy percussion creates a really strong beat that immediately inspires a sing and dance; unlike All Your Glory, however, the tables are turned and the protagonist is the one asking for forgiveness. Whether we have been the one at fault in a relationship or we have decided to blame ourselves for the relationship we are determined to recover, the lyrics portray a feeling many of us have felt in the past. “I pray, I pray, I pray I might, still be somebody worth the fight.”  

Admittedly, the album does feel repetitive in some parts, making it a little bit difficult to figure out what to say about some of the tracks. Conscious, however, was a different story. When you realise all the other songs focus on longing for someone you’ve lost, this track seems like she’s begging for a wake up call; something to free her from these self-destructive feelings. She gathers strength as she sings through her pain. Although “all [her] nightmares feel like real life,” she begs someone to “wake [her] up and keep [her] conscious”. It’s such a strong way to finish off the album.

If you want to start your weekend with some high-energy, feel-good sounds, I suggest you give this album a go. While you’re at it, check out the duet between Nott and Jarryd James 1000x.

Image: The AU Review