The Bads
We’re all familiar with the ‘Wellington sound,’ the ‘Dunedin sound,’ even the Shore has it’s own sound now. But get your gumboots on, there’s something brewing in Helensville!
Evading all kiwi music stereotypes to present a wonderfully realised and beautifully crafted arrangement of alt-country ballads, The Bads are set to breathe a breath of fresh air into the NZ music scene.
With a long history behind them, Dianne Swann and Brett Adams have returned from an extensive OE in which they toured with Green Day and Radiohead, twice. Swann also contributed on B-sides for The Bends, and call me star struck, but that’s impressive.
Despite being on the verge several times, these two never quite ‘made it’ and so have returned home to produce their first full-length album under the feisty pop moniker, The Bads.
There seems to be a bit of a gladwrap sheen to this album. I’m not sure if it’s because the jingle-friendly 90s pop riffs conjure up memories of Headless Chickens and When The Cat’s Away (one of Swann’s former incarnations), or if it’s the surprise of hearing beautiful faultless production when I expected something more home-brewed, judging by the album cover.
But either way, this is an unexpectedly lovely album that keeps me singing along well after the music’s over.
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