Featuring the astral guitar work of Christian Chidester, and anchored by the lockstep precision of bassist Jordan Hicks and drummer/producer Wolfgang Zimmerman, "Forty Bells" has a surprisingly electronic influence; yet Brave Baby captures an organic emotionality that tends to be lost on most electronic-fusion bands. On songs such as "Living in a Country", "Last Gold Rush" and "Denmark", Steven Walker's synth pop keys reveal hints of The Killers and newcomers Walk the Moon. But it is Keon Masters, topping off this treasury of talent as the band's vocalist, whose voice and lyrics provide much of the mood and set the enchanting tone for "Forty Bells".
The record opens with "Magic and Fire", an energetic track with an irresistible beat and lyrics that paint an image of longing. "Take me home / it's where my heart is / Don't let me go / we've come too far now." The chorus uses a chiming, rhythmic guitar hook with percussive accents that sweep the song along into a beautifully, reverb-laden ending, only to suddenly erupt into the next track, "Nothing in Return", a straight forward tune with an unhinging, apathetic drive. The record proceeds with this element of surprise, intriguing the listener and stirring a curiosity that leads from one song to the next.
The album's title track is the longest on the record, coming in at 5:31, and showcases Chidester's atmospheric and cascading guitar work. The stripped down vocals are beckoning in their honesty, with Masters penning such lines as "And maybe all we need is love / maybe all we need is love for ourselves / Maybe all we want is more / I want it all myself." The record changes direction again with "Lakeside Trust", a swift and upbeat song with a playful bass line, steadied by Zimmerman's solid percussive work. This could be a tune by Arcade Fire, evoking all the excitement of a late summer evening with friends and first loves.
The acquiescent "Days of our Youth" introduces some adolescent frustration into the otherwise wistful and saudade album. "So why should I be good / when he is not? / Why should I get territory rights / when nothing here is mine?" The bottom drops out at the 2:30 mark, just long enough for Masters to lament, "There's a sad story growing / but you don't want to know it." When the bass and drums rush back in, heavy and full, the weight of the song beautifully illustrates the sadness of a heavy heart.
Lightening the mood is the simple and sweet "Grandad", complete with a Bossa nova-style snare tap and sliding, surf rock guitar lines that drip with reverb and delay. "Cooper River Night" is a love letter to Charleston, a fresh and spirited song that makes clever use of time and phrasing. "It was a Cooper River night / We ditched the cars / and rode our bikes / to watch the ships / sail out of sight," Masters sings, really showing off his range and stepping nimbly out of the Bon Iver shadow that many critics and music writers are quick to cast onto him. "Living in a Country" (the first single off the album, released Nov. 2012) slips back into the darker side of the band, exposing a vulnerability and regret that we all feel at one point or another, while "Foxes and Dogs" is possibly the most ambitious tune on the record. With fantastically pretty chord progressions and layers of vocals, there is a lush softness to the creative and sentimental lyrics on what has grown to become my favorite song on the album.
"It's a civilized sacrifice / when nobody knew / that foxes and dogs play, too / that I will come back for you."
"Last Gold Rush", as mentioned earlier, is one of the more synth-heavy songs, with a rolling drum cadence that calls to mind The Killers's "Believe Me Natalie" (from their debut record "Hot Fuss", released in the U.S. on Island Records in 2004). The shortest track, "Denmark", employs its fair share of Walker's synth pop as well, but in a much different way. Coming in at just 2:31, the track channels late 90s Prince sensibilities, with some Fleet Foxes thrown in for good measure. Featuring a soulful backing chorus and a cleanly executed Masters falsetto, this song bestows an apt closure to the gallery of emotion that is "Forty Bells", gently laying to rest the days of adolescence and bravely looking over the precipice, into what is sure to be an illuminating and auspicious future.
Catch Brave Baby this Friday, 1.17.13, for their "Forty Bells" Album Release Show at The Charleston Pour House. Joined by Octopus Jones and label mates ELIM BOLT, it's sure to be a great show. Doors open at 9p and the $10 cover charge includes a copy of the new record.
Brave Baby website: www.bravebabymusic.com
Brave Baby on Facebok: www.facebook.com/bravebabytheband
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