26 Bats!: “Helicopter”
Nothing makes me happier than when my kids’ start to formulate their own opinions about music. My eldest especially (five and a half) has started to formulate strong feelings about what she likes and dislikes which usually amounts to her telling me she doesn’t like around 80% of what I play. When she does happen to like something it’s immediate and also a devotion she tends to retain over time. A few artists have achieved this pedestal: Angel Olsen, Jenny Hval, Clairo, Altin Gun.
I am happy to say that we can add local band 26 Bats! to this list. When their latest single “Helicopter” came on the radio the other night, after a scant few bars my daughter piped up, “this is good. Who is this?”
I have to agree. 26 Bats! have come a tremendous way since they started what feels like just a handful of years ago. The band (which is composed of members of the Kremblems Collective and led by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Bailey Cogan) has particularly branched out this year, releasing singles that build on the group’s jazz/r&b inflected pop sound and push it in new directions like folk and trip hop.
“Helicopter” drives that exploration further – combining all aforementioned elements into a dreamy confection of electropop driven by piano/synth, guitar, drums, sampling, and, as always, Cogan’s terrific voice. It’s a great tune and hopefully a harbinger of more to come. Stay tuned to the band’s facebook page for updates.
Stream/purchase “Helicopter” below:
