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Album review: Brodinski releases hotly-anticipated debut LP, Brava
House | Friday 6th February 2015 |
Having achieved global success and recognition as the boss of Bromance records, the expectations for Brodinski’s first LP are running high.
Back in a 2013 interview for red Bull, he explained the album would be “mixing styles, which is always a good idea but never usually brings good results, so I’m trying to do it well with what I love about techno and electronic music in general and what I like about rap, R&B and everything from southern USA.”
For those more familiar with Brodinski’s more well-known productions, this new album might seem unexpectedly further towards the rap/trap side of the musical spectrum. It seems as if this full length solo LP was the first opportunity for Brodinski to truly explore this leaning that we’ve only seen glimpses of before, both on previous tracks and in the midst of his notoriously fiery sets.
Lead single Can’t Help Myself is a fantastic opener, veering between classic laidback trap featuring the vocals of SD and a dancefloor-tearer of an adrenaline-fuelled techno breakdown. There are more glimpses of the classic dark, cinematic Brodinski with Need For Speed featuring Louisahhh and Bloody Jay, one of the standout tracks of the album - there’s no denying that Louisahhh and Brodinski are a fantastic duo. Trap sections featuring Imogen Heap-esque vocals are fused with a climactic electro buildup, led by a seductive voice demanding her need for blood, sweat and gasoline. 51 Bandz is another particularly interesting collab, featuring the ethereal voice of UK singer/songwriter Phlo Finnister juxtaposed with the rapping of 2$ Fabo. Us is a great way to close the album, an uplifting track featuring soaring, soulful vocals and almost EDM-like chords - it’s mainstream club-friendly, yet still contains enough quirk to mark it out as a Brodinski track.
Brava is, in some respects, a curveball of an album compared to Brodinski’s previous output. Nevertheless Brava's bass-heavy, technofied trap with a dark edge fits in well with the Bromance brand, and is entirely capable of tearing up dancefloors.
Words by @MiriamEJohnson
