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Sometimes artists put out a persona that evades any traditional notion of what categorising certain artistry is, and today’s artist definitely fits that description. Meet Dr. Babe.
Dr. Babe describes themselves as an entity that isn’t just a band, but a collective and their own personal zeitgeist. The zeitgeist part could simply be defined as a record from a moment in time when the universe opened a door to a totally different timeline.’
The band, collective and self-propagating zeitgeist sprawled into existence in 2021 when Brian Cox and Ashley Forester’s stars aligned for a clever and conscious collaboration. They worked together with the assistance of the Gay Brigade to produce magical tunes. The music started as a way to cope with what felt like a world gone mad, but Brian and Ashley collectively escaped the heaviness by travelling to inner landscapes created by Brian’s own soundscapes. His soundscapes were also formed through his love for unique sounds.
The pair then quickly learned in their partnership that their differing approaches to music could lead them to a brand new sound, described as ‘medicinal music’.
Well, with all the spells and cosmic analogies put aside, can this release stand against the reality of sound being somewhat material? Let’s venture into this universe.
Unfortunately, I have to conclude that this album did not necessarily live up to its own formulation and description. By the way of the artist’s branding, I was expecting a sound that was completely novel- niche almost, but I was graced with an album that was filled with competent but predictable alternative rock. It was not entirely badly produced or terrible, in fact, it was the polar opposite. However, I just felt quite put off by the discrepancy between the branding of the artists and the actual work produced.
In general, throughout the album, you will face chords that will make you contemplate your existence and feel about things in a very melancholic way. In a certain light, this album gives off the feel of self-reflection and self-analysis all in one. They weren’t wrong about being a zeitgeist, as the emotions portrayed within each song were pretty palpable.
Only slight nodes of spontaneity and individuality can be detected within the songs in the album, such as a distinct pattern layered underneath. My problem is how the more predictable and generic chords are layered on top of these interesting facets of the album, making it where it’s quite hard to find these ‘auditory quirks’ that we’re promised as an audience. I must add though, that in terms of instrumentation, the levels and the mastering is pretty good. There are no problems with the instrumental mastering of this particular album.
Another thing that leaves me a little confused is the way the vocals are mastered. It definitely is a little muddled, making me wonder if it was stylistically intentional or a production flaw in of itself. I get that certain genres require the vocals to be a little obscure for the sake of seeming dreamy, but in this case, it sounds a little ‘watered down’ as if it was streamed on the internet in low-bit.
Otherwise, I’d say that ‘Be Whole’ stands as another generic, classic alternative rock album. I really cannot extract other quirks out of it and it is unfortunate to me that the chord structures and the song structures within this album is extremely predictable. Perhaps it would be better if the artists focused on musical variability and actually being more niche in terms of music production and music composition, instead of dressing things up merely through word.
I do detect a sense of genuineness throughout the album, with the tone and timbre of the songs. I think that’s a plus point towards this album itself. If you’re looking for an authentic production in terms of the chaos and rumbles of the world and how humans perceive them, I think this album has a high translation rate towards most of a general audience- making it good for what people consider the most when they do listen to music- the quality of ‘relatability’.
Score/Good : Besides the misleading branding that Dr. Babe possesses, ‘Be Whole’ a great, decent album if you’re familiar with the tunes that characterise alternative rock. With punches and heartfelt chords and an aura of authenticity towards the album, you’ll definitely see yourself in any of these songs- by sheer purity.
[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]
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