Southampton five-piece BASH! are obviously masters of timing.
As the nation breathes a collective sigh with the relaxing of lockdown restrictions and starts to enjoy the accompanying feeling of freedom, they’ve popped up with a pair of breezy indie pop releases to ease us into hopefully a safer, sociable summer.
BASH! consists of Amanda Bashmakova (Vocals), Miles Hobbs (Bass), Joe Burgess (Guitar), Angus McIntyre (Drums) and John Burdfield (Keys) and they have been making music since 2018 after being drawn together by the power of destiny, love of music and university.
Their debut single, ‘Favourite Things,’ includes an attempt to pierce the complexities of fake relationships with a line based around a Russian food idiom.
“Cleaning out my baggage from your bolognese” is a nod to the Russian phrase “hanging noodles from your ears” — effectively making someone believe what you’re saying even if it’s not true.
And the smart word play is matched by a genuinely memorable tune from the quintet that explores fakery and frenemies when your interest in another person and their life isn’t reciprocated. Take the chorus, for example: “And I can tell you all my favourite things if you wanna know… but you’d rather hear my favourite things about ya!”
And I’m not kidding when I say it sounds like something Beyoncé might have pulled off had she decided her future lay in clever, percussion-driven indie pop rather than globe conquering R&B. It’s got the attitude in the lyrics, a great pop refrain and an affecting crescendo. I couldn’t help thinking it was an indie ‘Irreplaceable’.
Speaking about ‘Favourite Things,’ BASH! said: “The song came around during our chaotic last year at university. Definitely a sassy tune about being tired with navigating egos.”
They’ve followed it up with ‘Lovely, Smart and Beautiful‘ — a proper summer stormer that bounces along on basslines that at times recall the glories of Hi-NRG, but with some glistening guitars and bubbling synths overlaid to round off a sugary confection.
It’s an uplifting ode to being strong and ambitious as vocalist Amanda sings, “Let them go, and chase the dream.“
BASH! say: “‘Lovely, Smart and Beautiful’ was the second song we ever wrote as a group. This is the song that formed the cornerstone of the BASH! sound and it evolved from there. The song is a self-affirmation in times of change and doubts when your vision doesn’t align with the ones who want the best for you.”
And ‘Lovely, Smart and Beautiful’ as a title, is a memorable turn of phrase that is just begging to be plastered on t-shirts.
Their latest single, ‘Lovely, Smart and Beautiful’ is out now – available to Stream/Purchase here.
