Is there something in the Swedish water? For whatever reason, Sweden’s pretty prolific in the indie pop department these days. Moonbabies are the latest reason why, and their album, Moonbabies at the Ballroom, is an upbeat, vaporous collection of from the duo of former shoegazers who turned pop. Engaging various degrees of electronica and guitar-pop with slow, engaging tempos and vocal harmonies, Moonbabies have crystallized another fine pop album.
Light, wafting vocals mixed with drawn out ’60s-pop melodies and sophisticated rhythms keep the almost-typical sound on Moonbabies at the Ballroom from getting stale. The hyper drums on "Don’t Ya Know" neatly scoot the club techno vocals and electronica along. The baroque arrangments on "Cocobelle" sway nicely with the cool vocals. The xylophone and echoed drums on "Shout It Out" mix with the vocal harmonies in a Beach Boys fashion. Throughout the album, Moonbabies combine the shared innocence of both the ’60s pop and 90’s shoegaze eras.
Moonbabies at the Ballroom is a subtle brick in the foundation of Swedish indie pop surge. It’s not quite essential but thoroughly effective through its gentle, accomplished charm. Moonbabies employ a wide variety of tempos and textures on the album, and they’re all done with impressive precision.
