by Griff Stevens
Bad Rabbits is a trio of talented musicians. The Bad Rabbits are: Fredua Boakye [vocals], Sheel Davé [drums] and Salim Akram [guitar]. The band’s music enjoyed success in 2009 with their EP Stick Up Kids and again in 2013 with their critically acclaimed debut full-length album American Love, which hit #1 on the iTunes R&B Chart and Top 10 on the Billboard R&B Chart and landed the critically praised performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Late Late Show. In 2016, American Nightmare took a darker turn and siphoned the band’s heavier rock influences through a fiery filter, which became a fan favorite. They are also known for their energetic live performances and have shared the stage with everyone from Kendrick Lamar and The Roots and Allen Stone to Passion Pit, 311 and Paramore. Bad Rabbits are set to release their second album, Mimi on August 10, 2018. The R&B band gives us seven tracks of their signature funky sounds, and the way things are stacking up, there is no reason that Mimi will not match the success of American Love.
“Dollars & Change” has a catchy synth and bass groove with Boakye’s vocals soaring over it. The falsetto in the chorus is strong and lifts the track. The lyrics are fun and the song structure flows with nice developments along the way. Bad Rabbits have a way to make music fun, and “Dollars & Change” is aplomb with fun grooves, excellent singing and formidable songwriting.
Bringing us more funk and modern sonics is “F on the J-O-B,” with shimmering synths, heavenly falsetto, and driving bass lines, the musical romp matches the lyrics. In typical Bad Rabbits style, the storytelling found on the track is thought-provoking. Ultimately the story telling found on the album is a celebration of women of all shapes, sizes, colors and walks of life, whether it be through lighthearted and innocent daydreams, or when things take an unacceptable turn for the worse into sexual harassment territory, like on “F on the J-O-B.” The tune is an unconventional song in support of the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements, but even though it is a serious subject, the music is upbeat R&B funk.
Bad Rabbits has achieved a solid follow up to their critically acclaimed American Love success. Mimi digs deeper into social subjects and focuses on Mimi the character as a fictional girl who is social media-obsessed, a socially beautiful girl named Mimi, whose sexuality is ambiguous. She stands at the center of the album, where she can be found in each song as the subject or a bystander.
Tracks to sample first: “F on the J-O-B [Explicit],” “Dollars & Change [Explicit],” and “Eyes on You.” The song to take a chance on is “After Party.”
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