Broods
Evergreen
(Capitol Records)

Broods is an electronic duo from New Zealand consisting of siblings Georgia and Caleb Nott. Their debut release, Evergreen, is earnest, vulnerable, moody, and a great record.

Lyrically, Evergreen perfectly encapsulates the mindset of many twenty-somethings who are navigating through life and change. In the opening track, “Mother & Father,” they sing, “I don’t want to wake up lonely/I don’t want to just be fine,” a sentiment that all young adults have felt at some point in time. The words are posed so poignantly, however, that the idea almost hits the listener as something new.

The brooding electronic arrangements are full and fluctuating. Produced by Joel Little, who worked with Lorde on Pure Heroine, similarities between the records can be drawn in the icy-indie pop sound. Despite the inevitable comparisons, Broods has an energy and edge of their own. Evergreen ebbs and flows with syncopated rhythms, airy and wistful vocal melodies, and aggressive bass lines.

The standout track from the record is “Bridges,” which was carried over from their EP that was released last year. The song builds up from a sparse arrangement into a fully fleshed-out wall of sound. Georgia’s vocals sail over the synthesizers as she sings of “burning all the bridges” and moving on.