This upcoming Valentines Day, Cry Babe is releasing their EP Be Cool. Until you can hear the full thing, you can listen to the pre-released song “Johnny.” Do you remember the pointless car rides you and your friends would go on when you first started driving? Anxious and impatient, going 10 miles above the speed limit with the wind whipping your face and the setting sun gracing your brow. This is the emotion at the heart of “Johnny.” It’s clever because the song isn’t about being wild for the sake of it. It’s about being impulsive because you’re more afraid of what will happen if you don’t get in that car. Vocalist Anaïs Genevieve combines the anger and ethereality in her voice into something radically new. She sings with a style that I’m tempted to deem operatic punk. Her wild shrieks make Janet from Rocky Horror look tame in comparison. In “Johnny” she becomes both the devil and the angel on your shoulder. If you don’t find yourself thrashing and twirling around while “Johnny” is playing, you’re doing something wrong.
Cry Babe’s release show will be on Thursday, February 14th at the High Water Mark Lounge. Mr. Wrong and Sea Moss will also be playing. You can find out more information here.
-By Avril Carrillo