There has always been a lot of high quality music in New Zealand, just bubbling under the surface. Though the isles have generally been known more for their rugby team, Lord of the Rings and sheep than the residents’ ability to turn a tune. Now, thanks in no small part to the work of producer Joel Little and newly anointed Queen of Pop, Lorde, New Zealand music has burst through the ground like a geyser of fantastic songs and one act who has come flying out to prominence, is brother/sister duo, Broods.
Georgia and Caleb Nott came to the world’s attention just a handful of months ago when they posted “Bridges” online. Since then we’ve had follow up single “Never Gonna Change” and now this stunning eponymous six track EP. It’s an EP so good that we couldn’t choose which track to share with you so we’re streaming the whole thing below; an EP so fantastic that we can’t stop playing it and can confidently predict its presence on our year end list in 11 months time.
Each of the six tracks sounds epic; they are majestic laments to heartache and anguish. Stark digital beats are juxtaposed with gloriously expansive melodies that swoosh and dance like the northern lights over snow covered mountains. Georgia’s vocals are figure skater graceful, gliding effortlessly across the ice in patterns of balletic beauty. On “Sleep Baby Sleep” and “Taking You There” in particular, she sings with hushed and sumptuous elegance, a single spotlight shining on the shapes her movement is creating and bewitching spectators and judges alike.
“Coattails” is more urgent, but only by comparison, as it soars like a flying dream high above the ground, vapour trails left in its wake as it rises higher and higher before resting momentarily just beyond the reach of our atmosphere. A pause in the blissful silence of space, taking in the grandeur of the Earth below, before the rhythm kicks back in and we swoop down once more into the daylight.
Supremely polished, the six tracks are shades of grey melancholy; beautiful and hopeful, dark and downtrodden. Love and heartbreak, joy and despair, belief and self-doubt, contentment and depression; all are here and all are beautifully packaged in a sonic parcel of rare magnificence.
On “Pretty Thing” they sing about getting lost in love, just as we have been getting lost in their debut EP. Put it on repeat and be prepared to wonder where the time has gone as hours have passed and you’ve done nothing but listen to these gorgeous and compulsive songs again and again and again.
The ‘Broods’ EP is out now and available from iTunes and will get a limited edition 12-inch vinyl release on 7 April.
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