174 kph w/ BROKEN BABY Late Stage Optimism LP
Broken Baby – Late Stage Optimism LP is available at Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music.
by Walter Price
Calling all fans of The Beths, The Lapse, Starcrawler, and the Garbage era of alt-rock, the hotly anticipate long play, ‘Late Stage Optimism’, from Los Angeles California’s BROKEN BABY has officially been unleashed. And it’s equally everything you thought it would be and bursting at the seams with surprise and intrigue.
The first takeaway, for a rock n roll album, it’s chock full of pop sensibilities. So many moments that encourage if not force you to want to sing along. 11-tracks with no filler, just solid, fun, bouncy rock that’s never singular in its sound.
But burbling just under the skin of these songs are weighty messages, zeitgeist matters that are certain to spark much-needed conversations. Hey, relax, no one wants to be preached to, and that’s not happening here… Rather, frontwoman Amber Bollinger uses her experiences wrapped in her charisma to make you bop while you soak up stuff to think about. Flipping the stereotypical narratives, while you rock out. It’s this vocalist’s superpower.
But as cool as Bollinger stage presence and ability to stick thoughts deep into your guts are, this LP’s production is just as much the star. Handled by the other half of this dynamic duo, Alex Dezen, ‘Late Stage Optimism’ will go down as a how-to masterclass. There isn’t a single moment when you can safely predict what’s coming next from one track to the next. One moment the master of melody has you groovin’ to a 90s era alt-rock vibe, the next you’re blasting far into the future of pop, and other times you may think the guitar work is speaking syllables. A totally unique experience through and through.
And if you’re like me, by the time this set is about to conclude, you’re doing 174 kph on the autobahn…adrenaline is real folks. And this LP is pure energy sonicfied.
LATE STAGE OPTIMISM
+ Meaniac, the music video
Band photography by Amber Navarro
Broken Baby is Amber Bollinger and Alex Dezen
Produced/mixed by Alex Dezen
Mastered by Whynot Jansveld
Recorded Feb 2019 – Dec 2020 at Sally Studios El Sereno, CA
With mix assistance on “Get the Piss Up” by Jon Kaplan
Production assistance on “Get the Piss Up” by Pete Harper
Additional production and arrangement on “Cloud Coverage” by Brian Griffin and Adam Popick
All songs written and performed by Broken Baby
Except, drums/percussion on “Manic Panic,” “Meat Week,” and “Don’t Be Rude (2021)” by Brian Griffin
Bass on “Manic Panic,” “Meat Week,” and “Don’t Be Rude (2021)” by Adam Popick
Bass on “Hand Heat” by Whynot Jansveld
Ride or Die/Touring players: Brian Griffin, Adam Popick, Tony “Duck Head” Diaz, Whynot Jansveld, Garrett Henritz, Maxx Diaz.
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“Late Stage Optimism” is out!!! Our second record! Partying face We did it! YOU did it! We couldn’t do this without the shares and all the loves. So we thank you!” – BB (Twitter, 24 September 2021)