Album Review: Total Babes - Heydays

Ohio’s Total Babes have partly broken from the looming shadow of Cloud Nothings on this second LP.

Some of that comes from the addition of Emeralds synthsmith John Elliott, who has infused tracks like Repeat Gold and Can I Turn You On with gravitas while opening up new, unexpected terrain. The album sits on that tightrope between earnestness, aggression and flippancy, perfectly encapsulated by the track Circling, which also features a skronked-out sax solo from Cloud Nothings’ frontman Dylan Baldi – an irreverent racket imbued with an innate sense of melody and a sunny disposition.