Number One? Balu Brigada

The band Balu Brigada was created by the New Zealand-born brothers Henry and Pierre Beasley. The brothers started their journey in the music industry in 2016, when they released their first upbeat single “Weekend”. In 2017, Balu released a few more groovy playful singles like “Ricochet”, a powerful alt-rock song with a steady falsetto which reminisces to the energy of the 80s. “Could You Not” starts us off with a mechanical loop followed by a catchy instrumental, finishing with an amazing guitar solo. “Overlap” opens with the chorus but the rhythmic bass and the details in the percussion are what brings the song all together. In 2019, Balu Brigada released their first ten-track mixtape, “Almost Feel Good”. The mixtape keeps the essence Balu had previously presented to us on their singles. The brothers excel in combining genres, we can feel the pop vibes, passing through some rock-inspired guitar solos, not forgetting the hip hop ambiance present in the beats and rap. “Nightshift”, the second track of the mixtape demonstrates just that, combining a beautiful falsetto with the use of distortion on the instrumentation.

Over the last two years, Balu Brigada brought us once again a set of ebullient danceable singles. “Moon Man” invades us with a strong wobbly bass and a chorus that hints to a dreamy anthem-like song. “How It Would End” kicks off with wavy synths, leaving space to an ambitious build up to the striking chorus. The feel-good vibes do not end here, “Number One” is an intoxicating catchy track that makes me want to get in the car and drive along a bright orange sunset just like in the official video clip.

Balu Brigada have an inviting and exhilarating sound, I truly believe in the talent of these two brothers. The way they manage to combine different elements of each genre is pristine and unexpected, I am sure they won’t stop surprising us, let’s wait to see what the duo has in store for us in this new year.