Evergreen
Broods
2014
While their debut album could easily have been compared to the megastar of the time, Lorde, this brother-sister duo managed to provide a much more energetic and thrilling project that distinguished their own sound.
Trip Hop/Bedroom Pop/Dream Pop
BY HARPSICHORD
JAUNARY 29, 2024
2014 should be regarded as the best year for alternative pop. In the middle of that year, vocalist Georgia Josiena Nott and her older brother, Caleb Allan Joseph Nott, released their debut studio album, Evergreen . While Georgia coos over each song, Caleb provides multiple instruments. Released in August, the project came eight months after their self-titled EP– in the middle of New Zealand’s rise on the MTV-adoring scene infatuated with Lorde. Joel Little– Lorde’s producer of her breakout hit, “Royals”– collaborated with the duo on all tracks from Evergreen .
Released during the summer, Evergreen is the complete opposite of warm weather. In fact, there are multiple allusions to snow– whether through the lyrics or the production. “Mother & Father” sounds as if the band is marching through the trenches of a mountain packed with piles of snow. While ‘Bridges” find the vocals tripping over the lyrics “burning all the bridges now,” which combines as a word play for “bridge of snow.”
Evergreen explores the themes of growing up and coming of age. “I don’t wanna wake up lonely,” Georgia realizes on the opening track, “Mother & Father,” as she discusses “ever since I left my mother [and father].” Much of the album finds lyrics of darkness contrasting against what would be perceived as brightness. If anything, the clashing noises exemplified by hi-hats and synths add to the uptempo rhythm of the scintillating. “And it breaks my hea-ar-ar-ar-art” drags out the chorus of “Everytime” as the clangor bangs out.
While Evergreen is systemically simple by design– it is in fact a thrilling experience from start to finish. It’s like ‘The Hunger Games’ personified on wax. A quietly brooding, majestic experience that shines through constant switch ups, where the duo has the instinct of carrying out the best parts to the point of addiction. If anything, Evergreen, captures best what Frou Frou did on 2002’s Details .
‘Killing You” brings about drama, in the vein of R&B. For the first time in the album’s sequencing, Caleb’s low octaves are chillingly heard in the background. “We can make up for it on the weekend,” he plays as a ghost to Georgia’s thoughts. It simmers with an organ and the sound effects of a tornado wind that underscores her falsetto, head register. “Never Gonna Change” also touches upon that energy– rushing with each ticking second of the song’s length. “And I hate that I'm always so young/Had me feeling like you were the one,” ties into the album’s central theme, as a reverbed ocean wave switches between left and right speaker. The feeling of raving comes full frontal by the song’s instrumental bridge breakdown– making what could have been undemanding, ultimately enrapturing.
“Bridges” became Broods’ most significant hit to date. It’s an ethereal blend of trip hop that made it young, fresh, and current while also harboring the qualities of adult contemporary easiness. The song peaked in the Top 10 of their native country’s chart, while crossing over to rock stations in the United States. If anything, this would be the song that best aligns with the sound of Lorde’s rise to popularity in the mainstream. But in the midst of all that, it’s uniquely distinguishable for the brand of Broods. “Sober” however recalls Lorde’s “Buzzcut Season” from Pure Heroine – more of a testament to the production work of Joel Little. That’s followed up with the dreariness of “Medicine,” which models after the thundering of procedural television.
The title track brings everything to its center– appearing just two tracks of the final one. “No fear” echoes on in the twilight zone that Broods fostered throughout the LP. “Since we found out that we're invincible/We've been living in a dream world,” best captures what the music on the entire LP set out to accomplish. Structurally, the track works as the realization of Evergreen ’s plot– with Georgia subtly breaking down “you’re… my… hero… now.” In an interview with ‘Coup De Main Magazine’, Georgia noted that the title is “about how beautiful life can be.” The cyclical nature of the album also captures the band’s intense touring cycle at the time– where they had to make their souls “infinite and indestructible” at the ages of 20-22.
Since releasing their debut album, Broods has experienced modest success. They haven’t been able to recapture the charting magic of Evergreen with their three following releases. At this point they’re releasing solo projects. That being said, Evergreen , will forever be cherished by those that were on to the wave when others weren’t.
“Bridges” for being the standout track that not only resonated with audiences of the scene, but full captures the essence of ‘Evergreen.’
“Never Gonna Change” for its dramatic urgency.
“Killing You” for being a serious contender as the best song off the album, and for perfectly switching the mood of the entire album three tracks in.
Key Tracks
Back during its release in 2014, and up until now, Evergreen never got the full attention that it deserved. While alt-pop thrived on certain internet scenes, in the grand scheme of it all the genre as a whole didn’t receive the critical acclaim or the mainstream consumption that would have driven further interest. This is one of those projects, where what seemed uncomplicated and uninvolved, was in fact nuanced and layered. There are multiple bright moments through this well paced and evenly distributed project that makes it a timeless masterpiece that carries beyond that 2014 timeframe.