Baby Scream – “Greatest Failures”

Well if you were asked to name a great power pop band from Argentina, then you would probably struggle. However, once you have listened to Greatest Failures by Baby Scream, a project led by Juan Pablo Mazzola, then at least there will be one. When you hear mention of influences like The Beatles and Cheap Trick, you are bound to have high hopes.

The album opens up with “Slut”, a title which is somewhat at odds to the sound, which, far from being offensive, is actually very upbeat and poppy. It bounces along with a neat melody and with a sing a long chorus. It is followed by “Mars” which this time, is well represented by it’s title. It has a Bowie esque space feel and floats along with a very open and sparse sound.

After the tranquil opening tracks, “Every Day (I Die A Little Bit)” comes as a bit of a shock. This opens with an intro which is very reminiscent of a Strokes song. It then moves into a rockier number which sounds more like a Soul Asylum song. It is a great, fast paced number and it would actually have been nice to see the band explore this style on a few more tracks.

We are soon back in to the dreamy pop sound on songs such as “The Riots” and “Morning Lights”. The first of these just allows your mind to wander and start day dreaming. Whilst the second is swept along by a great combination of guitar and organ. Despite having no idea what the title means, “Ojos Orientals” sees Baby Scream hitting a power pop peak. It will come as no surprise to hear it has a Beatles feel to it. It is the one that you could imagine George Harrison lighting a joss stick (??) to! This feel continues with “Exile”, although we are probably more in Lennon territory with this one.

“Jekyll and Hide” adds a bit more of an indie feel to the power pop sound and therefore we come more up to date with our band references to Jellyfish. It therefore comes as no surprise when the great Eric Dover turns up on “The Ghost Of Valerie”. This in itself is a great demonstration of the quality of Baby Scream’s ability to craft fine pop songs.

The album ends with “Secret Places” and it’s lyrics about escaping match well with the sound of this album. It has a style and pace which allows you to sink into the sound and drift away from the outside world.

It is curious where Baby Scream’s name comes from, as it is certainly not in keeping with the band’s sound, which is far more likely to soothe a baby rather than disturb them. Whilst the songs may not grab you immediately, they will gently relax and engross you. They have a lovely, dreamy pop feel to them, which will create a feeling of tranquility. It is likely you will put the CD on and be at the end before you know it. Importantly, however, what you will also probably do is just press play again straight away.