Thanks to his world-conquering brilliance with Lorde, all eyes are on Joel Little and what the Auckland producer does next. How, exactly, do you follow up a Grammy-winning song?
Little's answer is to hook up with hyped Nelson brother-sister duo Georgia and Caleb Nott to help craft this, their debut
EP as Broods.
Yes, the six songs here utilise some of the tricks Little perfected with Lorde: sampled vocal hooks, spooky synth templates, twitchy electro blueprints and clattering drum kicks are to the fore. But that's where the similarities end: Broods have more in common with witch-house acts like Purity Ring or the unsettling soundscapes of Portishead than Lorde's chart-baiting accessibility.
It helps that they're backed by some damned fine songwriting: Try the glitchy electro-throb of Never Gonna Change, the summery stomp of Bridges, the folky strumming of Taking You There or the haunting minimalism of Sleep Baby Sleep, a stunning orchestral-led lullaby.
As good as the pair's joint vocal efforts are on Pretty Thing, which plays out like The xx on ecstasy, it's Georgia's gorgeously silky tones that really draw you in. "I'm in love with this" she croons on the shimmering closer Coattails.
