Broods, an indie-pop duo from New Zealand, is coming off a high point in its career after joining the Australian and New Zealand leg of Taylor Swift’s Reputation Tour. All eyes were on Georgia and Caleb Nott, as the siblings released their third studio album — but the duo disappointed.
Don’t Feed The Pop Monster is not a bad record, but it doesn’t live up to expectations.
Broods set the bar ridiculously high with the debut single off the new album, “Peach,” but the rest of the record doesn’t even come close to measuring up.
“Peach” is one of those songs that you hear once and immediately add to your playlist — it’s like three songs all rolled into one. It opens with a soft, dream pop instrumental and lots of emphasis on Georgia’s lead vocal, then it picks up a bit with a trace of a trap beat. The chorus is pop gold, giving the track an entirely different, dance-infused vibe.
Clocking in at just over four minutes, the masterpiece led listeners to believe there would be more innovative electro-indie pop tracks on the album, but most of the record is dull and predictable.
There are some redeeming tracks, but none that leave a lasting impression the way “Peach” does. “Everything Goes (Wow)” is the closet the duo comes to nipping at the heels of “Peach.” This track features an intriguing guitar riff during an instrumental break, along with soft, well-rounded vocals and a chorus that sticks with you.
“Sucker” is a cool sort of cross between Pale Waves and The Japanese House. Though it has a few thought-provoking verses, the chorus is forgettable and the production makes it sound like every other indie-pop song.
“Everytime You Go” is a high point, because the duo branches out from its comfort zone by slowing things down, all while incorporating new production not seen elsewhere on the record. There’s a constant clicking throughout the track, but the most notable production is the eerie minor key piano that perfectly matches the depressing, self-doubt-filled lyrics.
“Dust” tells a relatable story of not knowing what comes next. The song is packed full of imagery, and Georgia’s vocals are strong, but the production is very simplistic. It’s tracks like “Dust” that prevent the album from being great. There’s nothing wrong or off-putting about the track, it’s just not special and feels lazy. Especially because 2014’s Evergreen and 2016’s Conscious, the band’s freshman and sophomore albums, were full of songs that felt different than anything others were composing at the time.
Don’t Feed The Pop Monster needs a soft rock masterpiece like Evergreen’s “Superstar” or a catchy pop sing-along that maintains its integrity like Conscious’s “Heartlines,” but it falls short. “Peach” is the only saving grace that shows that the duo hasn’t lost what makes it stand out.
Broods has always known how to craft a good song, whether it’s focusing on lyrics or instrumentals, more often than not, the pair manages to pull it off. But Don’t Feed The Pop Monster is a misstep for the duo at a pivotal point in its career. The record, overall, was disappointing in its lack of wow factor.
The record tells the plight of a hopeless romantic fairly well. It thematically works with the concept of a relationship falling apart and the self-doubt experienced when one is alone creating a common thread. The album is well-assembled, but it plays it safe stylistically, and that’s why it falls short of greatness.
