BABE RAINBOW - “SLIPPER IMP AND SHAKAERATOR” REVIEW
Written by Beau Croxton
Babe Rainbow by Maclay Heriot
Babe Rainbow’s Slipper imp and shakaerator is a highly consistent strip of sunny psych-pop that makes for quite the blissful sonic oasis.
Australia’s Babe Rainbow has been movin’ and groovin’ fans for many years and they have always delivered reliable good times. On their 6th LP, Slipper imp and shakaerator, we find the band emphasizing the “psych” in psych-rock even more so than their recent albums. This LP marks a bit of a return-to-form on the relaxed grooviness of their early days amid some sunny, psychedelic, and swirling new production.
This album’s songs carry a sense of a real hang out, with natural playing and vibing; it is not super rigid or structured. Casual fun exudes from the tunes and you can only imagine they must have had a blast making it. The songs tend to romp on persistent grooves to keep the good vibes rolling rather than worrying about big chord changes, pre-choruses and bridges. Instead of frequent structure changes, you get plenty of psychedelic production switch-ups to keep you on your toes and to dazzle your eardrums. Slipper Imp is like one big happy and hazy dream and the trippy production weaving in and out marks a significant shift from the band’s previous string of albums.
“What is ashwagandha?” opens with a super groovy bassline that recalls Cake’s “Short Skirt, Long Jacket”. The funky bass is intercepted by a bright and inviting tropicalia-infused jingle. Singer Angus Dowling encourages you to “swing around like yin and yang” and it sets a playful vibe. Dowling often carries the record with his charming and whimsical Beatles/Beach Boys-style cheer. “What is ashwagandha?’ is a fantastic lead-in full of sunshine and smiles.
Babe Rainbow’s most popular song is called “Peace Blossom Boogie” but the band manages to up the ante in the hippie department on this album with their new title “LONG LIVE THE WILDERNESS”; further thrusting an even bigger peace-sign in the air. “LONG LIVE THE WILDERNESS” is also probably the biggest slapper you could ever put on your gardening playlist. This tune is downright great and very accessible with a familiar classic-rock-radio quality to it.
“Now and zen” is a bit more moody but just as groovy. Its opening is sparse, but a Beck-like beat comes in to get you dancing. A tiny dose of melancholy looms in this song, giving it an emotional resonance that stands out in this field of tunes. “Sunday” is a great demonstration of how the psychedelic production turns into a star of the show. The relaxed instrumental on this tune switches the vibe to feel like laying on your back and staring at the stars. Then, not so far into the song, some descending , shimmering, and elongated synths stretch across the mix. These synths truly feel like the sonic equivalent of animated stars shooting across the sky, completely on point with this track’s star-gazing vibe.
“Like cleopatra” sets sail on an 80’s Bowie-style combo; with its “Let's Dance”-style thumping beat and jangly guitar. There is a very communal celebration kind of vibe on the falsetto vocal hook. At times, Babe Rainbow feels almost like some all-blonde hippie commune who found the secret to happiness and they are trying to share it in the most contagious way they know.
Slipper imp and shakaerator Album Artwork, out now on P(doom) Records
“When the milk flows” is definitely the most bonkers of the bunch. This track jets off with a sample of a French flight attendant speaking into an intercom followed by frenzied funky drumming. Guitar leads straight out of Woodstock ‘69 are followed by some great arpeggiated synth and percussion. This song is far more of a groovy sonic freak-out than a sing-along, but it's a clear standout because of the thrilling moments and unpredictability. It carries some of the rave-up energy of their first record and eventually fades out into a dub version of itself, which is fitting considering the next tune.
“Mt Dub (ft Stu mackenzie)” opens like an Aussie-psych modernized rendition of “Bittersweet Symphony” and the listener is greeted with vocoder by Stu Mackenzie (of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard). Grandiose string-synths enter between verses to punctuate a gorgeous vibe. The large drum sound on this track is great and makes it easy to coast along and enjoy the dreamy production detours throughout. “Aquarium cowgirl” is a more quick and jolly number. In different parts of the song, some of the production sounds like it loses its brightness, creating somewhat of an underwater sound. About halfway through the song, some of the fun synths literally sound like cartoon bubbles. Definitely one of the stars of the bunch, “Aquarium cowgirl” has infectious energy that makes it a big highlight.
“Rainbows end” is supremely chill with a twinkling instrumental and features artfully delivered words from Camille Jensen. The vocals may meander a bit between singers, but the instrumental really drives it home. It’s clear at this point that the B-side is totally geared for the mega chillers. “Re-ju-ve-nate” is like a wholesome Paul McCartney “Ram” style lullaby to draw the album to a really pleasant conclusion. Emphasizing the “good” in goodbye, this tune feels very much like a sincere, smiling and waving type of farewell.
“Slipper imp and shakaerator” is a vivid daydream and an enjoyable hang, featuring lots of new and fresh sounds for Babe Rainbow. You can hear many similarities of 2010’s psych-pop groups like Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Mild High Club or Animal Collective. This record carries many of the most endearing qualities of that specific wave of psych-pop, along with Babe Rainbow’s core sound, which makes the record shine bright in their discography. If you separate any of these tracks individually from its highly vibey and consistent record, perhaps you could argue that maybe Babe Rainbow didn’t find one of their absolute top 3 smash hits. However, even if so- that truly doesn’t matter at all when the quality song-to-song is so highly enjoyable. Ultimately, Slipper imp and shakaerator works best front-to-back as a non-stop strip of sun-baked serotonin.
Occult highlights: LONG LIVE THE WILDERNESS, What is ashwagandha? , Now and Zen, Aquarium cowgirl, When the milk flows
(..but we recommend you spin the full album when the edibles kick in)