BABEHEAVEN EMIT TRANQUIL TRIP HOP BLEND IN DEBUT ALBUM 'HOME FOR NOW'
West Londoner’s Babeheaven were born out of a shared sonic passion between vocalist Nancy Anderson and instrumentalist/producer Jamie Travis. Over the last few years, the duo has released several EP’s, achieved several millions of streams, and turned quintet supporting the likes of Loyle Carner, The Japanese House, and Nilüfer Yanya. The pair now set to release their highly anticipated debut album titled Home for Now fine-tuning their previous works and making the most of old foley recordings to create their 14-track LP.
Home for Now starts with a fan favourite titled “November” originally released as part of their Circles EP in 2019. The single features a luring string solo introduction along with frontwoman Nancy’s signature hypnotic vocals, and ambient style production to craft a soothing indie R&B-Esque anthem. On meeting, the pair gelled over their love of trip-hop, soul, and electronics, which you can undeniably hear in their music. “Human Nature”, the second track on the album is heavily trip-hop inspired sounding reminiscent of 90s groups such as Morcheeba and Portishead providing an ambient yet nostalgic offering.
The long-awaited debut glides effortlessly from track to track despite the record being crafted from many singles from previous works. The slick and effortless sounding production style resonates ambiently through the album forming a silky smooth blend of hip-hop breakbeats, layered synths, rich melodies, and often shimmering guitar. This is especially highlighted in tracks such “Cassette Beat” in which the instrumental wouldn’t seem out of place featured on the likes of lo-fi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to.
Speaking on “Cassette Beat” Anderson stated the following:
“I wanted to write a song about creation. Whenever we create we subsequently end up destroying something in a huge way or a small way. But there is always light behind the dark even when you can’t see it yet. It’s also a comment on media, how we ingest it at an unhealthy rate – the news becomes fads instead of feeling real.”
Other tracks on the record cover topics such as experiences of anxiety and insomnia (“Craziest Things”), forcing relationships (“Jalisco”), and the dizzying effects of one's first love (“Friday Sky”). The single “Friday Sky” is also one for die-hard Babeheaven fans, being one of their first releases in 2016. Unknowing that this would spark their exciting musical journey, consistent support from laid back independent playlists and sell-out headline shows at Bush Hall and Jazz Café. Babeheaven's unique blend of genres and smooth feel has never failed to disappoint and neither will Home for Now. The Londoner's debut provides a comforting yet moody sense of honesty, provided by Nancy’s vivid lyricism and vocal delivery alongside the melancholic trip-hop inspired instrumentals.
Check out Home for Now out Friday 20th November via AWAL. Click HERE to preorder now!