Indie-pop duo Rachael Cantu and Harlan Silverman, otherwise known as Little Brutes, just released its third EP, “Desire.” Its first EP release since 2011, “Desire” is a jolly, five-song collection that will make getting ready for those early mornings a little more enjoyable.
Cantu and Silverman both have separate music careers as well. Cantu’s career blossomed when she toured with Tegan and Sara. From there, she toured with a few other notable artists and then continued on to do her own solo work. While Cantu is known for her powerful vocals and lyrics, Silverman is a talented jack of all trades. He can play every instrument except drums and also does solo tours. Needless to say, Little Brutes is a perfect collaboration for these two individually talented musicians.
In 2011, Little Brutes released its first EP, which was self-titled. “Little Brutes” had a much more folky, acoustic sound than “Desire.” In December of the same year, it released a “Holiday EP” that had four melodic covers of holiday classics, such as “Silent Night” and “Deck The Halls,” which are quite lovely and worth a listen.
“Desire” is a bit different from Little Brutes’ past material. It shies away from folk melodies in favor of a more pop-synth sound. It’s teeming with guitars, handclaps, a heartbeat-like drum and Cantu’s sweet, friendly vocals.
“Make Our Own Way,” which is sure to be a crowd pleaser, is the theme song for the NBC show “One Big Happy,” which premieres in March. Like the rest of the songs on the release, it’s upbeat and contains lots of finger snaps, guitar and encouraging lyrics.
The EP contains a few head-bob-inducing tracks. Cantu’s voice meshes beautifully with the catchy, entrancing backbeats. When listening, you can’t help but think of Little Brutes as a more minimalistic, pop-loving sister to HAIM.
“Real Thing” is another solid track. The drum beats certainly encourage dancing — it’s one of the more upbeat songs, and it’s faster and less melodic than the others. That’s not to say that the remaining tracks — “Carefully,” “Wait for Me,” and “Desire” — are meant to be ignored. Each has its own catchy qualities that lend themselves to many different types of music lover. Little Brutes caters to pop, indie and electro fans alike.
“Desire” is the perfect collection of songs to listen to on a rainy day when you’re snuggled inside with a good book or in need of a little encouragement on a dreary morning. Some of the songs can be slow at times, but this EP is worth the time.