By: Ben Salvo
Rating: 4/11

Tight but predictable melodies are methodically stacked like bricks on top of basic instrumentation and repetitive lyrics, combining to produce the kitschy, plastic power-pop numbers found on the new self-titled EP by Brooklyn trio The BadSpells. Still, don’t be surprised to see toes tap and heads bob to the formulaic beat when this synthetic set takes the stage. For what its worth, The BadSpells are nothing less than a well-oiled machine when it comes to simple, catchy tunes.

An enthusiastic bio on the band’s web page cites lead singer Russell James Hughes’s “strong songwriting and showmanship” as one key to their self-predicted success. But with not-so-Earth-shattering lyrics (“Everyday, everyway/ You’re bringing me down/ You’re jerking me round/ I feel like a clown”), it becomes apparent that the showmanship of Hughes is probably the single most important piece of their puzzle, and that their live shows are much more exciting than their recordings. This is appropriate for a band trying to pull ahead in a genre specifically created for frat-boys looking for indie music they can “relate” to, or for anyone looking to swoon over a local version of Maroon 5.

While the lyrics could use some work (hey, not everyone can be Jason Mraz), The BadSpells are a generally talented group of musicians who have decided to spend their time exploring a type of music that went out of style with Windows 95 and Shaquille O’Neal. Of the songs released on the EP, “Soft Kiss” and “Strawberry Girl” are the cream of the BadSpells’ crop, both offering clean guitar riffs and exciting melodies. “Explode” is a high-energy rock number that sounds like a carbon copy of the Presidents of the United States of America, while “3-6-5” falls a little closer to the boy band mark. “Stuck in the Rain” is one of their better songs, stepping out of the shadow of blatant catchiness cast by the other tracks with a few more creative lines.

Any band that deliberately takes on the label of power-pop needs to be ready to have their motives questioned. Is this music saying anything important, or is it simply an extended pick-up line directed to every lonely girl in the bar? There’s no wrong answer; some bands are The Beatles and some are The Backstreet Boys. No need to worry about with their funky haircuts, arty photo shoots, and the annoying way they leave out the space between the two words that make up their name, The BadSpells sold out from the very beginning, and their momentum will continue to grow as long as they never apologize for it.

By: Faetra Petillo
Rating: 7/11

The BadSpells might not be quite ready to revolutionize the indie scene, but they certainly show more promise than they are being given credit for. Hopefully they will age like a fine wine and maybe use their obvious talent to push the envelope a little more. But for their first EP, one could hardly call their music a cop-out or a failure.

There comes a certain point in a band’s career where they have to proudly claim, “I am what I am” and stay true to the music they are creating. It is true that The BadSpells might be your local version of Maroon 5 but to be honest, there’s nothing wrong with that. Their songs are good. They are catchy, well recorded and well balanced; the EP provides solid tunes that make you want to dance and sing along. Russell Hughes and Max Hinojosa have great voices with more edge than something found in a boy band. Don’t get me wrong, some songs are hit or miss, but there are tracks where the vocals are more comparable to Conor Oberst than to Justin Timberlake. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea but it definitely has its place. And to rule out any band that borders on a “pop” sound runs the risk of turning the indie music scene into every pretentious hipster stereotype that it doesn’t need to be.

While their lyrics do leave something to be desired, their instrumentals make up for it (or at least drown out the painful parts) on many occasions. For example, on track “Explode,” the beat is so catchy that no one gives a crap what the song is about. They speak more emotionally than they do intelligently, and they mostly write songs about love and women. Petrarch, they aren’t – but they are honest and clever.

The BadSpells have a nice dynamic and are overall just fun music to listen to. And in the age when you can’t sit through a commercial break without being sold something to the tunes of The Postal Service, DeVotchka, or Sigur Ros (to name a few), I’m not sure that “selling out” has much to do with a band’s musical talent or more so, their integrity (or their resolve to say “no” to big figures). So can we really judge the “selling out” of The BadSpells before they’ve even “made it?” I think it’s a little premature to ask for apologies on music that for all intents and purposes might bring a bit of life and “pop” into a scene that tends to be overrun with emo melancholy.