Kidbug

Kidbug

Joyful Noise Recordings, 2020

http://kidbug.bandcamp.com

REVIEW BY: Tom Haugen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/28/2020

An indie-rock super group that brings together Marina Tadic from Eerie Wanda, Adam Harding of Dumb Numbers, Thor Harris of Swans and Best Coast's Bobb Bruno, this first album from Kidbug births a self-described “cuddlebug sludge,” where pop and grunge collide over a romance between the founding members Tadic and Harding. my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

“Now Let's Go To Sleep” starts the album with Tadic's soft vocals guiding a bit of an eerie backdrop with just a lone guitar, and “Lovesick” follows with a soothing, dreamy quality that's also grungy as the band find a unique spot to exist under an alt-rock umbrella with the sort of fuzz that would make J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) proud.

Things only get better from here, including the more harrowing and rhythmic shoegaze nods of “Moonglue,” as well as the brief, hazy “Never” that just might make you want to revisit the best parts of Sub Pop's early catalog. Elsewhere, the setting turns darker with the dense “Woozy,” while “Together” pairs pretty singing with a thick layer of hard rock.

Near the end, “Yesterdays” is five minutes of gentle, psychedelic pop with much ambience, and Dale Crover, of The Melvins fame, sits in on drums on the exceptional exit “Dreamy.” Dream-pop with plenty of bite, this finisher pretty much sums up everything that Kidbug is about—syrupy melodies with plenty of power chords backing the chunky versus sweet formula that also brings in a gong, dulcimer, hurdy gurdy and some field recordings.

Rating: B+

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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