Review of Rewild Album by Amazing Baby

Review of Amazing Baby's album Rewild released through V2.

Amazing Baby Rewild Album

New York five-piece Amazing Baby have been lumped into the 'Brooklyn based psychedelic pop' scene - if that scene exists! But basically they graduated from the same Connecticut University as MGMT and are now based in Brooklyn; tenuous I know, but there are similarities.

Their sound has a psychedelic trippy edge to it, with lush orchestration and plenty of synths, but it's a bit more rock than their contemporaries. They kick off with Bayonets, with its swathes of synths, thumping drums and tempo changes building to an anthemic chorus; a perfect opener. And that sound is recreated throughout the album, with stand out tracks like the folk-rock Kanka and the bouncy, up-tempo Headdress. They seem to take their inspiration from everything from 60s and 70s Bowie to Britpop, in fact vocally some of the songs have a distinct Pulp/Jarvis Cocker sound to them - and the finished sound, when it works is inventive and compelling.

It doesn't always work though and the album does have its faults. The production is a bit busy; they seem to have packed everything possible into this record. And towards the end of the album the songs lack definition and roll into one another, particularly The Narwhal and the uninspiring Roverfrenz. But they pull it back with the chanting chorus and hypnotic riffs of the brilliant Smoke Bros and close with the throbbing Pump Yr Breaks.

Unfortunately, despite the MGMT comparisons, Amazing Baby don't deliver in the same level. Although a decent debut and definitely worth a listen, Rewild is unlikely to have the impact or the mainstream appeal as Oracular Spectacular.

Rating: 6/10

Robyn Burrows


Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/theamazingbaby

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