A few weeks back we caught up with Edele Lynch, one half of a new group, the Barbarellas, alongside her twin sister Keavy, the pair of former B*Witched fame, have struck out on their own and have their sights set on the top spot in the music world once again! However they aren’t rehashing old songs or even dredging up the same sound – they have crafted something new for their debut album – Night Mode.
The thirteen track strong album is compiled with fast dance floor fillers and steady ballads but they sound nothing like we might expect from the former denim clad pair. A lot has changed in the eight years that the most famous Irish girl band went their separate ways and it is clear that Edele and Keavy have done a lot of growing up and have had a chance to experience life, all of which is very evident in their music.
There is a distinct sound of electro to the album but there are hints of RnB and even some pop altogether these mash into a very adult sound – dark, electrifying and sexual.
As said before the album has two clear types of track running through it, the floor filler and the ballad, from start to finish the album blends smoothly through these varying tracks, the listing and arrangement of the songs have been done in a way that pace you through the whole album – starting with catchy and songs that would pack any dance floor (Night Mode, Play Dirty), Could You Ever slowly winds down into the ballad Faith In Me before we’re snapped back into a very RnB influenced track, The Idea.
It’s hard to pick out just one or two tracks that we have a particular like, generally on album there are one or two songs that stand out but in Night Mode we find ourselves liking every track but we’ll pick our favourite floor fillers and ballads!
Night Mode is the second single released from the album and it is probably our second favourite track on the album. It is infectious and full of rhythm and don’t be ashamed if you get the urge to dance when listening to it, you can’t help yourself when listening to the song. Could You Ever is used to wind the album down a little before hitting the halfway point into the ballad Faith In Me. Could You Ever is another floor filler but unlike the others where you find yourself just absorbed into the rhythm and beats, there is a depth to this track that goes beyond the hypnotic beats and electro synth.
Faith In Me is definitely a strong contender for best slow track on the album, featuring the sound of Edeles son Harley’s heartbeat, it is a fantastic tribute to both of Edele’s children and a nice change of pace to the rest of the album. However our favourite ballad on the album has to be Kiss from a Ghost, inspired by a friend who had returned from war, the track is brimming with dark melodies and raw emotion, it also highlights the strength in the voices of Edele and Keavy and you can easily find yourself hooked on their vocals ignoring the powerful backing music, an acoustic version of this song would be guaranteed to pull on heart strings!
(This is only a demo track of Faith In Me, it is different to the actual track but a good idea of what you can expect)
That is the real strength to this album, written from a lot of their own experiences, the pair have managed to pull together a very personal album.
Night Mode is an indication of just how much the sisters love music, it is a passionate, exciting, dark and powerful journey through an album jam packed with a refreshing and mature sound. In the last few years we’ve seen various bands that reached a pinnacle of fame in the nineties reform and peddle a similar sound to the music world. Thankfully there is none of that in the work of the Barbarellas, instead of pushing the bubblegum pop of their former careers but have shown just how much they’ve grown and are more than willing to share their experiences as well as a more mature and different sound. They have been described in a number of media outlets as simply mimicking popular sound of today, taking influence from Lady Gaga, well to those people, we say you’re WRONG! You are missing out on definitely one of our favourite albums of 2011 and we look forward to whatever the Barbarellas bring us next!
Track Listing for Night Mode
1. Body Rock
2. Night Mode
3. Big
4. Play Dirty
5. Could You Ever
6. Faith In Me
7. The Idea
8. Turn Me On
9. Kiss from a Ghost
10. Tip It
11. Do to Me
12. Smokin’
13. Curve Ball (Bonus Track)
Night Mode is available to download now on iTunes!
You can follow the Barbarellas on their quest to conquer the music world on their official website or you can get daily updates and even chat with them on their Facebook page
