In times like these, we could all use a little feel-good, groove-to-it music that lets us forget the ways of our troubled world — even if just for the duration of an LP. With the release of their second full length project, the self-titled Biddadat, frontman Cameron Brownell, bassist Kyle Miller, and drummer Remy Morritt take listeners on a much-needed, soulful escape. Imbued with the band’s signature, funky melting pot of blues, contemporary rock, and electronica, this LP embodies the maturation of the band since the release of their debut EP, Ragtag Rhythm, in 2015. Just as Biddadat’s presence in the Seattle nightlife scene has grown, so has their music — although its distinctive sound hasn’t changed, the thematic content of their songs has developed to reflect how the members themselves have evolved with time.
Biddadat, as a whole, explores what it means to change and evolve as we grow older, and listeners are asked to consider the importance of youth and the implications of its transience. In tracks like “Hey… I Like Your Body” (feat. Decent at Best) and “The Conversation” (feat. Motus), youth becomes symbolic of the freedom and wide-eyed delight with which we approach new love.
“Hey… I Like Your Body,” in particular, is saturated with an infectious energy that showcases the fun to be had in being irresponsible and letting loose in the heat of the moment. Against an electric backdrop of keyboards and finger-tapping bass, lyrics like “I can’t help but see you dancin’ / You can tell I’ll take a chance / If you think it’s alright / We can boogie all night,” express how a simple compliment can ignite the flames of mutual attraction.
On the other hand, “The Conversation” harkens back to a potentially troublesome aspect of love no relationship can seem to shake — making the first move. Lyrics like, “But I don’t know what I would say / How can I feel good, say what I should / When I am too afraid of conversation” assure us that the nerves and apprehension commonly associated with young love are feelings we all experience, no matter our age. At first glance, the go-getter attitude of “Hey… I Like Your Body” might contrast with the more subdued nature of “The Conversation,” but if we consider the emotions each track portrays — passion versus trepidation — a picture of any modern romance appears. By placing the tracks in quick succession (tracks two and three, respectively), Biddadat draws attention to the idea of love as a constant conflict between want and fear, confidence and self-doubt.
This appreciation for youthful, reckless abandon continues in “Outrageous,” a zany track that favors a truly audacious array of instrumentals as its mode of expression. Sharp, fast drum beats are blended with absolutely groovy bass and dashes of spacey electronica to create an amalgamation of sounds and commotion that’s impossible not to dance along to.
“Anything” is an equally sway-able track that invites a bit more realism into its discussion of boundaries in relationships: Lyrics like, “Won’t do just anything for you / Who would do everything for anyone / That don’t mean I won’t be there for you” persuade us to believe that even the most passionate of love affairs can have limits that partners respect. This delicate balance between youthful infatuation and the practicality that comes with maturity is an overarching theme in Biddadat, as the band looks to “act its age” without sacrificing too much of its rambunctious spirit.
Tracks like “Spend the Night” and “Younger Days” incorporate Biddadat’s trademark blend of blues and rock in which layers upon layers of textured sound drift atop each other to form a funky sonic current. The former is a somber, almost hypnotic track that delves into the push-pull of a late night rendezvous: Psychedelic percussion is interlaced with saucy lyrics like, “Me and you are waiting for the sun to set the mood” and “I’ll do whatever it takes to see you first when we’re both awake” that exude a lolling, carefree amusement.
“Younger Days” leans into a more surf-rock vibe — with wild electronica and feverish guitar that amplify the track’s syncopated, trippy sounds. Lyrics like, “Back then we loved so hard and fearlessly” and “We know we won’t stay the same / If you’re in another place it will be okay” glance back at the past in the hopes of taking some of it with us as we go — ultimately, though, we’re forced to accept that time has sped up and taken us to “another place” where we’re no longer as young as we want to be.
As Biddadat’s second full length project, Biddadat is a testament to the band’s willingness to experiment with the entire musical gamut, and likewise, its propensity to succeed in doing so. The LP is truly music for the moment, in the sense that it compels us to feel whatever hope, happiness, and joy for life that we can.
Biddadat
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