Brigitte Calls Me Baby’s sophomore album leaves an ‘Irreversible’ imprint

Brigitte Calls Me Baby frontman Wes Leavins stands among the most expressive vocalists of the modern age — it’s a good approximation between the velveteen tone of Elvis Presley and the melancholic sound of Morrissey. Which would incline listeners to presume that, with such a defined sound, Brigitte Calls Me Baby to be confined to the mold of their debut disc — a continuation of the lavish mid-century pop and early-aughts indie rock profile of “The Future Is Our Way Out.”

And although their sophomore project echoes those certain frameworks, it has an experimental edge that extensively transforms the record past their first. “Irreversible,” instead, pivots in a new direction, exploring the genre clash between late-century synth-pop and indie-rock trends — influenced by the shift in production from Dave Cobb to the genre-bending artistry of Lawrence and Yves Rothman.

A current contender for theoretical underground album of the year, “Irreversible” dissects the irrevocability of decisions, drawing influence from the opening lyrics of Tears For Fear’s “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” — “Welcome to your life, there’s no turning back.”

“The Future Is Our Way Out” offered a dose of infectious tunes, including consecutive plays “Impressively Average” and “We Were Never Alive.” “Irreversible” maintains that course, delivering a wealth of magnetic tracks — each with its own fingerprints. “Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction” and “I Can Take The Sun Out Of The Sky” are recordings that could break into the mainstream, aurally comparable to a classic Strokes hit. The most ambitious one, though, rests with “I Danced with Another Love in My Dream,” drifting further back in the sonic landscape and setting the stage for a New Wave soundscape.

There are several tracks that channel that New Wave sensibility. “The Pit” emerges as a “slow-burner,” mirroring the plodding escalation of depression — a trace between the pacing to Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence,” but with the vocal likeness of Cure frontman Robert Smith. “These Acts of Which We’re Designed,” in contrast, breaks with a Devo-flavored loop-driven pulse, before blossoming into a mainstream New Wave sound, rooted in a suffocating depression. And “The Early Days of Love” plays into their type, unfolding as a seamless installment to “The Queen Is Dead” with its Smiths-esque introduction and rumination on the intoxication that surrounds the infatuation phase of relationships. That blend of New Wave influence defines the newfound heartbeat of “Irreversible. “

“Sillage” serves as a seamless instrumental interlude before the record’s final stretch, evoking both the nauseating emotions and cosmic effect in which the record’s theme flourishes — that captures your mind in a holding cell of self-contemplation. Who knew an interlude could be so daunting?

There are some slower moments that appear in the project’s latter half. “I Can’t Have You All To Myself” dwells on an unrequited love in a lyrically pure, yet, heavy-handed ballad. “What did you do to make it hurt so bad,” croons Leavins, raising his vocal register to unveil a heightened desperation — a similar resonance to Jeff Buckley’s “Grace.” “Send Those Memories” addresses the complex matter of romanticizing the past — the juxtapositional tension between escaping the magnetic pull of memories, but still absorbing their influence toward the future.

But the most memorable moment on the record is “Slumber Party,” the album’s lead single. The melody’s push-pull momentum renders the track more kinetic in nature, linking it to crooner-influenced mid-century rock and roll, however, with a contemporary spin. Leavins leverages the playfulness of a slumber party relative to the burden between glorifying a relationship’s promise and the public exposure of its truth — “If this is the holy dream, I don’t wanna see the light,” he velvets. However, any assurance appears far-fetched, and whether he slips into his pajamas and confronts reality remains a mystery.

The truth is that “Irreversible” never loses momentum — considerably a front-to-back listen with an “irreversible” imprint on the modern soundscape. The pivot in production surfaces as a defining moment in the band’s trajectory, steering clear of familiar territory and dodging a “sophomore-slump” release — a feat that conveys long-term promise.

And although their audience continues to slowly rise, their sound still remains relatively underground — a matter that cannot be better articulated than by the record’s opening lyrics: “For those of you in love, think of what you have.” What a moment to relish their excellence before they attain mainstream attention.

Isaac Rozwadowski is a student at Minnesota State University, Mankato, where he shares his talents as an editor for the MSU Reporter. He is a multifaceted writer, relentless listener and shares a belief that good music can shape a lifetime.