The closest I got to figuring out what Babaganoüj meant, was Baba ghanoush: a traditional Lebanese dish of cooked eggplant mixed with onions, olive oil and various seasonings. But they’re ‘bluffing’ folks… they don’t look like a tasty dipping sauce to me*.
Bluff is fierce, has attitude, soul, and vulnerability. The perfect sound track for a shitty day… in a good way.
Brisbane indie pop-rock-shoegaze outfit Babaganoüj have created a track that feels like the perfect break up song or is a song for anyone who’s had a shitty day they’d rather forget. Bluff is fierce, it has attitude, soul, and vulnerability. Need we say more? It’s pretty black and white, this is a rather rad rock song.
Babaganoüj’s members have come from all walks of life in the indie pop-rock scene, so you just know they are pretty talented at their craft. Charles (chuckd666) used to play in Yves Klein Blue, Jack (jackstreetsjackalright) drummed for Inland Sea and Harriete (harriettep) and Ruby (rubyroolz) played for Go Violets– if you’re going to be a fan, rule number one is to know their RuneScape usernames and commit them to memory.
The contrast between smooth and soulful vocals with edgier, nosiy rock instrumentals in Bluff, is such a brilliant and effortless musical concoction. The rhythmical and punchy guitar line, which changes it’s pace as it suddenly decides to make a halting screech, will smack you in the face – mimicking how relationships screw with your heart and mind when you think things have never been better.
Lyrics like “you make me feel like, I’ll never be good enough, you said it would be easy but I guess that was just a bluff,” suggests a very clear and blunt message about love– what’s the point of embellishing something that doesn’t deserve our time and effort.
Bluff is taken from their forthcoming EP, due to be released in October. I’m interested in seeing what musical direction the band will be heading in, judging by this diversion from the straight up popgasm that was Too Late For Love. If Bluff is a clue of what’s to come, a moodier folk-rock EP can be expected, or it could just be a red herring, you can’t trust that single name.
Listening to their older stuff, their debut EP Sife Lucks, released in 2013, has more of an alternative rock sound that really jumps out at you – in the least threatening way possible of course. Their singles Too Late for Love and 4U, released in 2014, have more of a pop feel. It’s like Babaganoüj is taking us through the various stages of life – rock is associated with teen angst, pop gives off that party atmosphere and folk sees the hype die down and is more laid back and reflective, it’s only anger directed at the kids on their lawn.
Babaganoüj is what indie rock should be about – playful guitar riffs, easygoing vocals and harmonies, simple good vibes. I love Babaganoüj’s retro feel. It’s like I’m back in the 90s, and that’s saying something because I was born mid 90’s and my memories of that time are quite vague.
Their tour kicks off today! Awesome timing from the Happy team I must say.
TOUR DATES:
Friday 1st August – FBI Social, Sydney
w/ Hockey Dad
Saturday 2nd August – Brighton Up Bar, Sydney
w/ Food Court, Woodland
Sunday 3rd August – Rad, Wollongong
w/ Hockey Dad
Saturday 9th August – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
w/The John Steel Singers, Tempura Nights
Saturday 16th August – The Gasometer Hotel, Melbourne
w/ I, a Man, Split Seconds
Sunday 17th August – The Catfish, Melbourne
Monday 18th August – The Old Bar, Melbourne
W/ Dark Fair.
*Speak for yourself!
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