How best distinguish yourself amidst the endless stream of Brooklyn hipster squads making music? You could either go the Sleigh Bells route and make music that’s really loud and bizarrely pairs two extremely disparate genres (with wonderful effect). Or you could name your band after one of the most famous musical masterminds in the history of the world. Speaking honestly, it is doubtful that Brahms (the Brooklyn-band version) will have the same sort of historical effect as the much beloved romantic composer. But hey, what Brooklyn band will?
Early release, ‘Brought It Out’, is probably the most straightforward and perhaps also the catchiest of the songs Brahms has released so far. Extravagantly synthy, the song’s production is paired with recollected imagery from a youthful romance. Fittingly, like much of the 80s new wave music that Brahms seems inspired by, the song sounds ready to soundtrack one’s teenage years.
While remaining clearly entrenched in the 80s, the two newest songs by Brahms, ‘Repeat It’ and ‘Add It Up’, see the band pushing their sound in colder, darker directions, mining the same goth-rock-meets-new-wave-meets-post-punk era of the 80s that Crystal Castles were looking to on their 2010 album. But while Crystal Castles takes these sources of inspirations and digitalizes them, forming something that’s as creepy, gothic, and dark as the source material, Brahms instead throws on what, in relative terms, could be called a brighter electropop sheen. These songs are danceable even as they send chills down your spine, akin to a melding of New Order and the poppiest music by The Cure. And this all bodes well for the reported full-length release that, according to the band, is expected to come out sometime this year.
Remixes of BRAHMS’ songs by BRAHMSband
Featuring Yard Act, Death Cab For Cutie, Graham Coxon, Maisie Peters and more.