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Home / Northern Advocate

Music review: The Bads - Losing Heroes

Kim Gillespie
By Kim Gillespie
Editor: NZME Community Publications Network·NZME. regionals·
3 Jul, 2017 06:00 PMQuick Read

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The Bads - Dianne Swann and Brett Adams. Photo/Steve Keller

The Bads - Dianne Swann and Brett Adams. Photo/Steve Keller

Dianne Swann and Brett Adams this week release their fourth album as The Bads. Losing Heroes is the follow-up to the West Auckland-based duo's 2013 release Travel Light and packs a lot in to its 11 tracks, as you'd expect from these music veterans.

From the indie pop stylings of opener Get it Right to the shoegaze country-rock of Him & Her, this album is never not interesting.

As Swann and Adams tag team on vocals the instrumentation varies in pace and tone, the guitar work throughout superb.

Catchy first single Shelter Love contrasts Swann's deep voice on the verse with a high vocal refrain on the chorus, as the beats keep unconventional timing.

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Meanwhile, the title track is a highlight, an upbeat romp with a steady-driving rhythm section and the duo's shared vocals singing the poignant words "We're losing heroes, but they will stay heroes."

The band are set to tour the country in support of Losing Heroes, and on the strength of this, would be well worth seeing live.

Rating: 4/5 stars

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