With 2014's Don't Disconnect, Sarah Jaffe took an artistic left turn, shifting her sound from melancholy singer-songwriter fare to fizzier, more mysterious electro-pop. With its catchy, fascinating songs about the parallels between humanity and machinery, Don't Disconnect captures the sound of a performer sliding cleanly into her best artistic identity.
On July 7, the Texan will return with Bad Baby, whose title track suggests that Don't Disconnect was no mere detour: The song chugs and pulsates to maximally infectious effect, enhanced by a swirl of synths and smooth guitar lines. In recent years, Jaffe has dabbled in hip-hop and film scoring, and her sonic palette has never seemed broader.
"'Bad Baby' was one of the first songs I wrote/demoed in the months prior to recording the record," Jaffe writes via email. "Although the song's subject matter mirrored some personal dilemma, it was also written at the beginnings of a political joke that went too far. I cannot wait for people to hear the entirety of Bad Baby. ... It was a proud moment finishing it with my bandmates, and then in turn thinking about the physical art that would go behind it. I was lucky enough to work with Lindsey Byrnes — a superb photographer out of L.A. that I was introduced to through a mutual friend — and John Lisle, a longtime friend of mine out of Brooklyn who is an insanely talented illustrator."
Bad Baby is due out July 7 via Kirtland.
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