Questionably obtained fireworks stowed in the shed — various meats on the grill — slotted Wiffleballs dotting the lawn like pimples — all that’s missing is Big Baby’s latest single, “Not That”, pouring through the circular speakers of the boombox.
Slivers of tinny melody orbit like Independence Day sparks about the Virginian trio’s grime-caked bass and galloping percussion, watched from the backyard deck but launched from somewhere across the block. Sonically, Big Baby’s stripped-down rock & roll is All-American enough to soundtrack your Fourth of July cookout’s Slip ‘n’ Slide glides, but lyrically, it’s entrenched in punk introspection. I’m thinking about the difference,” sings frontwoman Ali Mislowski, “between a catcall and a compliment”, converting unease into a singsong delivery. “Not That” tracks a negative’s evolution into a positive — it’s the moment the seeds of anxiety bloom into art.
“[My songs] are upbeat, poppy, and bouncy,” says Mislowski of her recent output, “but I wrote a lot of the lyrics in tears.”
Big Baby’s Sour Patch EP drops July 14th via Egghunt records. Hunt down your own copy of the tape here.
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