Review:

on 2011-08-12 WillKosh Said:

Im staring at a word document trying to think of something negative to say about Still Life, a new-ish album by Bridget and the Squares. Very little is coming to mind, so let us just get this statement out of the way early on in the review so that those with short attention spans can get back to watching Robot Chicken and mercilessly pounding the Stumble button. Still Life is very, very good.

New York Citys Bridget and the Squares are one of several acts of note that Ive discovered through the Keith and the Girl podcast. They played a track from their new album, Still Life, on the show a few weeks ago, following it up with Apples & Oranges, a choose your own price download from their website. The shows co-host, Chemda, (try to pronounce that name and it will become abundantly clear why they call her the girl.) was speechless by the end of the performance. Hooked, I bought the album at full price from iTunes.
Drummer Kyle Thompson is an ex-intern and recurring guest on the show, so its no surprise that Keith and the Girl is one of the major factors behind BATS rapidly ascending popularity. Also responsible though, is the influence of kickstarter.com, a website that helps artists to seek independent funding for their work.

Still, marketing alone doesnt sell records. The lead singer-Bridget, Id assume-skillfully layers honey sweet vocals over tumbling piano riffs to produce a sound that is hypnotic, fun, touching and addictive. Drummer Kyle (formerly Intern Kyle) is a worthy backer for probably-Bridget, and together they crank out some of the best bare bones indie pop around.

Still Life has a sort of Zen Factor that balances it out, a Tao that encompasses all ten tracks. June is a deeply emotional song in defense of an abandoned lover, cut off like a junkie by a significant other and left to emotionally wither, but the sneering guitar of Savior is indignant and cynical. The humor in Apples and Oranges is offset by the frustration in Addicted.
There has been some talk about Bridget and the Squares similarity to Regina Spektor. Ill acknowledge that there is some stylistic overlap, but has no one noticed that theyre more reminiscent of the Kate Nash songs we were hearing a few years ago? (Im not really sure where Kate is now since I havent heard much about her in some time, so I hope hardcore fans forgive me for just assuming shes freebasing bleach somewhere so that I can move this review along.) Still, BATS have a more effortless air than Nash. The words and music seem to flow naturally from probably-Bridgets soul. "You gathered up the troops today" she proclaims. "You told them I had lost my way." Do we all know just how that feels, or am I imagining things?
Rating: 9/10