Baba Ali – ‘Laugh Like A Bomb’ album review
After American musician Baba Doherty met British guitarist Nik Balchin in London, where the former had relocated to immerse himself in the music scene across the pond, the duo’s combined love of various genres resulted in a perfect musical pairing: Baba Ali.
In 2021, the duo collaborated with LCD Soundsystem/Hot Chip alumni Al Doyle on their debut record, Memory Device. Although Baba Ali’s sound bears the influence of such mid-2000s indie electronica outfits, they also pull inspiration from classic hip-hop, funk, neo-soul and alt-rock artists, resulting in a unique amalgamation that feels timeless.
This is demonstrated best in their new record, Laugh Like A Bomb, which they produced themselves. At its core, their sophomore album is perfect for dancing, weaving pounding beats and addictive synths with fuzzy guitars. You can imagine yourself dancing to tracks from Laugh Like A Bomb in an ever-so-slightly dingy underground club. However, Baba Ali aren’t just concerned with making atmospheric indie floor fillers. Doherty throws something darker into the mix – incorporating uneasy lyrics communicating a need for escape, and the anxiety of living in a foreign country, explaining in a press release that living away from home “intensified this sense of vulnerability”.
Lines such as “hold my head down under water, I won’t resist” stand out on the opening track, ‘Hold My Head’, a powerful beginning to the record, which features bombastic rhythms that make for the perfect accompaniment to Doherty’s rich voice. However, Baba Ali kicks things into an even higher gear with ‘Burn Me Out’, which features Sink Ya Teeth’s Maria Uzor. A scuzzy guitar pummels in the background as they sing the title together, with swirling synths rising into the soundscape over the top of a motorik beat. It’s undoubtedly a highlight of the record, showing Baba Ali at their absolute best.
Twinkling, cosmic synths feature prominently on ‘Gold Rush!’, which retains a mellow pace, although the track maintains buoyancy through yet another piercing beat. In fact, each track is underpinned with a ferocious beat that jolts the listener out of complete complacency.
However, that’s not to say that Laugh Like A Bomb doesn’t have moments where it begins to falter. Although the use of repetitive lyrics and cyclical rhythms certainly works for some songs, others tire quickly due to a rather predictable sense of direction. On ‘I’m Bored’, Doherty repeats, “I’m bored out of my mind” over and over, emphasising his malaise. Yet, due to similarly repetitive instrumentals, the track teeters on becoming boring, too.
Luckily, the album picks up its pace with ‘Anesthesia, Beverly Hills’, which features jolting guitars and synths that seem to fly across the track. Moreover, the title track is another highlight, which contains further ambiguously dark lyrics such as “knives up, knives in, let’s see who wins” and “I’m the living dead”.
The thumping ‘Make U Feel’ and funk-inspired ‘A Circle’ are certain crowd-pleasers. The songs are great examples of Baba Ali’s ability to make expansive tracks without falling into over-blown territory. Sadly, the same can’t be said for the album as a whole. It often feels drawn out; not enough variety is provided in each track, and they sometimes feel as though they are melding into one. Although each song is good on its own – some are even incredible – as one cohesive piece, Laugh Like A Bomb feels like it’s missing something, or maybe it’s got too much of one thing.
Still, if you’re enjoying the current wave of electro-indie acts, such as Working Men’s Club, PVA, Jockstrap and Acid Klaus, you’ll certainly find a place in your record collection for Baba Ali, whose second album is a bold foray into the unknown, where you’ll find yourself dancing and reflecting on life, all at the same time.
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