Beabadoobee - “I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 9

Pairs Well With…Japanese Breakfast, Angel Olsen, Big Thief 

Bridging indie rock sounds from the 90s to contemporary, bedroom melancholy, Beabadoobee sounds fresh and pointed on her latest EP Space Cadet. While she performs in slacker rock modes, her music plays with purpose. See the roaring guitar licks breaking free on “I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus” and the surf/dream brightness on “She Plays Bass” to catch the balance in Beabadoobee music. While many of her genre peers rely purely on moody balladry, Beabadoobee employs minimal rock functions as a soft anchor, lightly tethered to allow her music to float to dreamy post-punk (“Sun More Often”) or noisy power pop (“Space Cadet”) with explorative ease. The London-based teenager is prolific as well in her early career having released 4 EPs over the past two years, quickly evolving from a straight indie folk artist to the expressive performer we hear today. (Kevin McStravick)