“Be Cool” is the debut EP from Portland three-piece Cry Babe, aka Anaïs Genevieve, Madaline Putney, and Rose Reinholz. Together, the trio make music that combines candid indie rock with the snarling bite of punk, and caps it off with a kind of theatrical maximalism, especially in relation to the vocals.
‘Glasses’ pitches somewhere between a soulful and timeless lilt and a Mitski-style loud-quiet crunchy indie rock song, Genevieve’s vocals morphing from soft and dreamy to powerful yelp. ‘Picard’ on the other hand is a feminist anthem which tells the story of drinking alone watching Star Trek, asking questions about approval and independence.
how can I be my own woman
and also yours too?
“You’re not my friend just some creepy guy” goes ‘Soft Honk’, a song about putting up with the males of our species. The group vocals are offset with a constant droning background synth and a sense of burning righteous anger, especially in the final line, “And I said, fuck you.”
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Closer ‘Johnny’ starts as a bouncy post punk number, but gets increasingly raucous as it advances, devolving into a joyous mess of guitar and Oh Rose style full-throated yells (what the lyric sheet describes as “**orgasms fakely and loudly**”), another sardonic dismantling of partriachal norms. It’s a fitting end to a short but powerful EP.
I don’t wanna go outside today
I wanna run and hide
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“Be Cool” is out now and you can get it on cassette (although be warned, it’s almost sold out) or digital download from the Cry Babe Bandcamp page.
