Depending on whatever aspect of
Braids' music captures listeners at any moment, they call to mind widely varied influences. Over the course of their debut,
Native Speaker, shades of
Animal Collective,
Bjoerk,
Karen O,
the Cocteau Twins,
Siouxsie Sioux, and
Yeasayer pop up in the most improbable combinations, making for unpredictable -- and sometimes thrilling -- listening. Opening track
"Lemonade" defines the band's sound, from its intricate instrumentation to its free-flowing structure to
Raphaelle Standell-Preston's angelic voice, which coos surprisingly profane lyrics like "Have you fucked all the stray kids yet?"
Standell-Preston's singing and the band's playing are both forces to be reckoned with, but for most of
Native Speaker they work together instead of competing with each other.
"Glass Deers" suggests a less-weird
Sugarcubes (even with
Standell-Preston's insistently trilled refrain "I'm fucked up"), while
"Same Mum" gives the band's sound a tropical lilt. Still, some of the album's best moments happen when
Braids calm down a little. The album's sensual title track shows how ably the band can make eight minutes feel like half that, with softly encompassing drones and erotically inclined vocals.
"Lammicken" takes the band's sound in an enticingly different direction that sounds like filter disco and dream pop blurred together, as
Standell-Preston sings "I can't stop it" in countlessly different ways. As intriguing as
Native Speaker is, it's not perfect:
Standell-Preston's vocals can border on grating, and sometimes the band's approach feels formless instead of abstract. Nevertheless,
Braids' uniquely feminine experimental pop is largely a success. ~ Heather Phares
![Nothing Happens [Clear Vinyl] [Barnes & Noble Exclusive]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0075678616013_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "Nothing Happens [Clear Vinyl] [Barnes & Noble Exclusive]")
