The Babies are a garage rock band from Brooklyn, and have been active since 2009, though they have been mostly inactive since about 2014 so that at least some of the band members could pursue solo careers. The group was started by Kevin Morby from the folk rock band, Woods, and Cassie Ramone from the lo-fi dream pop band, Vivian Girls, in an effort to make music in a more stress-free environment reminiscent of their other groups’ earlier days, according to the official Wikipedia page for The Babies. This album, Our House On the Hill (2012), is the group’s second and most recent studio album, and seems to have been relatively well-received based on the the reviews displayed for the album on the album’s Wikipedia page. I’ve really been digging a lot of modern garage rock bands lately, so I’m pretty excited to give this album a listen. With that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Alligator” gets started with a sweet vocal line that is promptly joined by a really sweet medley of distorted electric guitar and acoustic guitar chords that seem to keep the rhythm going as they walk alongside each other. Oh wow, more layers are added in with some drums, another electric guitar line, and a bass that give the tune a really sweet alternative rock feel that reminds me a bit of some sort of garage rock version of Death Cab For Cutie. Great tune, and I’m excited to hear more.
“Slow Walkin” gets grooving with some really groovy guitar that seems to have a vague garage rock sound in the timbre and particular style. Oh wow, I really dig the acoustic guitar in the background. Holy smokes, there’s a distant-sounding guitar line that seems to be hidden behind some other layers that has a really interesting surf rock sort of sound that I’m really digging. Oh wow, that surf rock guitar changes up for a bit with an almost solo-like line while the rest of the soundscape seems to continue building. This track has a sort of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros meets garage rock sound that is riding a wave near a Los Angeles beach near sunset. Great track.
“Mess Me Around” gets started with some really sweet flavors from the different guitars that seem to have a vague surf rock meets garage rock sound that I’m really digging, while the acoustic guitar adds a bit of jangliness that almost has a bit of a folk rock sort of sound that I’m also digging. Super sweet tune.
“Get Lost” starts out with a really interesting garage rock-inflected gallop from the distorted electric guitar chords that seem to be echoed by an acoustic guitar. I’m really digging the flowing feel of this track, which sort of evokes a Los Angeles sunset on a beach sound that I’m really digging. I’m sort of reminded a bit of the Raised on TV album that wrote about recently, Season 2 (2020), mixed with some of the flavors from the Frankie and the Witch Fingers album that I wrote about recently, Sidewalk (2013). Super sweet track.
Oh wow, “Baby” almost seems to have a sort of psychedelic garage dream pop sound at the beginning that makes me think a bit of the Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile album, Lotta Sea Lice (2017), especially with Ramone’s sweet, almost relaxed vocals that are backed by an upbeat, modern Los Angeles garage rock sound that I’m really digging. Holy smokes, the beat changes up really nicely for the outro as the rest of the instrumentation keeps the momentum for a moment, giving the tune more of a psychedelic sound. Great track.
Oh wow, “Mean” begins with some folksy acoustic guitar that is soon joined by some sweet, folksy, storytelling vocals from Morby that I’m really digging. I really dig the vocal gentle vocal harmonizations between Morby and Ramone for the chorus of the track, while the acoustic guitar gently continues flowing along. Holy smokes, a really sweet saxophone comes in after the vocals exit, somehow giving the soundscape an even more mellow presence in the process. Great tune.
“On My Team” gets grooving with some upbeat, modern garage rock-sounding electric guitar chords, which seem to be followed by some organs for a brief moment before other layers of bass, drums, and an acoustic guitar are added instead. Holy smokes, the track breaks through to a super sweet groove that brings the distant organs back into the soundscape. Oh wow, I really dig the almost droning effect of the background vocals from Ramone as the background vocals come in for the outro. Great tune.
“Moonlight Mile” gets started with some really sweet guitar medleys between the garage rock electric guitar and the sort of trailing effect from the acoustic guitar. I’m reminded a lot of that sort of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros meets garage rock surfing on a wave underneath the sunset near a beach in Los Angeles. Oh wow, I’m really digging the use of organs in this track. Great tune.
Oh wow, “See the Country” has a really interesting, almost mellowness to it as the soundscape takes on some sort of country folk feel with the timbre of garage rock that I’m really digging. This song has somehow pulled me closer to my speakers to try to listen closer, and somehow I find myself closer to my speakers as the song continues. Oh wow, I really dig the sort of garage folk rock feel of the guitar work in this tune. Great track.
“That Boy” starts out with some folksy acoustic guitar chords that sound like they might be echoed by some distant bass guitar or an electric guitar, but that could just be some of the bass notes from the chords ringing out a bit more. I’m sort of reminded of both Neutral Milk Hotel as well as some folksier version of some of the acoustic live performances from Jason Pierce/Spiritualized. Holy smokes, the drums come into the soundscape alongside what sounds to be a lead acoustic guitar line in the latter half of the tune, which has somehow transported this track into psychedelic territory. Oh wow, some feedback effects come in at the end of the track as well alongside some humming of some sort that add even more psychedelic sounds to the tune. Great track.
“Chase it to the Grave” gets grooving with a sort of upbeat garage rock sound from Ramone’s sort vocals and the sweet, nearly pop-inflected electric guitar chord progressions that seem to be trailed by some acoustic guitar. Oh wow, I really dig the sort of churning sound from the bass line in this track. Ramone’s vocals remind me a bit of Tess Parks’ sort of relaxed style in this track so far. Oh wow, Morby has his own verse with this track that makes me think of the Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile album I mentioned earlier. Holy smokes, one of the electric guitars plays a really sweet country rock solo that I really dig. Great track.
“Wandering” begins with some upbeat, folksy acoustic guitar chords and some mysterious background vocals that seem to give the soundscape a bit of an ominous feel. Oh wow, some orchestral strings from perhaps a cello come into the soundscape, which seem to evoke that mysterious folksy feel that the background vocals and acoustic guitar produce. Morby’s vocals have an almost serious tone that adds a really interesting feel to the mysterious folk sounds of the track. Great tune, and a great way to finish up the album.
Holy smokes, I’m really glad I checked out this album tonight. The medley of different genres throughout the listening experience included different folk, alternative rock, garage rock, and psychedelic sounds, all presented with a modern style that kept me listening closer and closer as the music continued. I was reminded a bit of both Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, as well as Lotta Sea Lice (2017) by Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile throughout the album, mixed with some garage rock flavors that I really enjoyed. If you’re into modern garage rock music at all, especially that of a Los Angeles origin, and/or modern folk rock and alternative rock at all, then you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, then I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A