By Emily Marshman
Recommended tracks: “Dust,” “Peach” and “Falling Apart”
Their first album since 2016’s Conscious, sibling duo Broods are back with a bang with February’s Don’t Feed the Pop Monster. Despite Georgia’s distinct, heady voice, they are most often recognized because their songs have been featured heavily in popular movies and television shows, such as Divergent, Grey’s Anatomy, and Teen Wolf. If their newest release has anything to say about this fact, though, they’ll be gaining tread, rising through the ranks of their indie-alternative peers who experience Internet popularity as well as radio play.
The first song on the album “Sucker” is almost infectious, its snare-heavy backing track pulling you in and ensuring you don’t go anywhere. It’s about falling in love with everything you see – music, movies, fashion, fads – and trying everything you possibly can, but always staying true to your roots, always going back to what caused you to fall in love with the world in the first place. It’s absolutely an indication of the tone of the entire album.
Although Don’t Feed the Pop Monster is pretty steady stylistically and generally representative of Broods as a band, there are a few tracks that stand out. The singles were “Peach” and “Everything Goes (Wow)”, and it’s obvious they were chosen because they are the most “mainstream” songs on the album. “Why Do You Believe Me?” is most reminiscent of their earliest record, which might be a breath of fresh air for anyone still skeptical of their new-ish sound.
I’ve always been one to believe that albums should be listened to in their entirety, especially the first time through, because tracks are written, recorded, and placed in a specific order for a reason. Broods has never been my type, per se, but there is no denying the beauty, intensity, and sincerity within this album. Don’t Feed the Pop Monster is an album with a hint of everything for anyone: tracks you can dance to and, in nearly the same breath, cry to, as well. It’s raw and visceral, the Nott siblings hiding their vulnerability behind catchy lyrics that you’ll have to listen to at least three times to understand why they resonate so sincerely with you.
Broods can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and on Atlantic Records’ website, as well.
