Messed!Up
Four weeks ago I hadn’t heard anything about or listened to Brigitte Calls Me Baby. With a name that sticks out like that, you would have thought that someone working in the music industry would know about one of the hottest bands in the indie scene right now, especially as it was just before the release of their second album. The band occupy a curious and compelling space in today’s indie landscape, one that feels both nostalgically familiar and strikingly new. With a sound that leans into crooning melodies, jangling guitars, and a kind of vintage romanticism, the band evokes echoes of mid-century pop and classic alternative while still maintaining a distinctly modern sensibility.
A friend of mine played a few songs off their first album when I was at his place to pick up stuff for work, and I got hooked by the Morrisey-like vocals and well-crafted songwriting. And I realized that Brigitte Calls Me Baby might just be one of the most magnetic bands making music right now and I was dying to see them ever since that day four weeks ago when they hit my radar. Even better, they were about to play at Molotow in Hamburg. So, here I was four weeks after my first listen – and the hype is real!
At the center of nearly every review is vocalist Wes Leavins, whose performance style defines the live experience. When fully engaged, he’s best described as commanding and magnetic – someone who owns the stage with a crooner’s confidence, channeling a blend of theatricality and classic pop charisma. His gestures – smiling, winking, locking eyes with the crowd – create an intimate connection, while his rich, Orbison-meets-Morrissey voice gives emotional weight to the band’s most stylized material. This presence is often heightened by a carefully cultivated aesthetic. Leavins leans into a kind of aloof, retro persona that complements the band’s 80s-inflected sound. And the audience at Molotow loves it! People are waying, singing along, and reacting enthusiasm and genuine fascination, and there’s some wild dancing going about (including our wave dancing photographer in the front row) – epic vibe at Molotow!
There’s a rare elegance to their songs. Kicking off with the amazing crowd pleaser “I Wanna Die in the Suburbs” and follow up with “Pink Palace” from their debut album The Future Is Our Way Out, is a great move because people in Germany haven’t fully listened to the latest album yet as it’s very new (although I like it more than their debut). With good help from predecessors as 80s Morrissey/The Smiths (uncanny similarity at times), Roy Orbison, and The Cure, Brigitte Calls Me Baby create their own distinctive sound. Fast-paced guitar riffs in multitude, topped with Leavins’ rich, crooning baritone vocals is a recipe for success, and I’m quite sure we’ll hear about these lads for years to come if they can keep up the output demanded by the fans and the music industry in this day and age.
My personal highs are (of course) “Eddie My Love”, “Impressively Average”, and the brilliant encore “The Future Is Our Way Out”. You can’t ask for more than that and the Molotow audience didn’t have energy left for anymore either.
I rarely find new bands anymore, but Brigitte Calls Me Baby is that rare exception. Yes, I bought their latest album. And ordered the debut album off Discogs.
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Photographer: Katrin Arfmann
