Bastette – Exposed
Release Date: 17th September 2021
Label: RPM Records
Pre-Order
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Pop.
FFO: The Pretty Reckless, Evanesence, Halestorm, Stardbenders.
Review By: Snidely Whiplash
It’s Snidely Whiplash back to take up his soap box and rant about some things that drive him nuts about the music of the day. Let’s talk today about female fronted bands!
Today’s band is a band called Bastette. I’m guessing this is the feminine form of Bastard? Fine by me, that’s pretty cool. I’m into it. They gave me a FFO list that doesn’t really sound anything like them, to be honest. But they all have female singers, so I can see why they threw them into the list. Honestly, this band reminds me more of Shania Twain than it does any of the bands listed. Some of the songs have a ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much‘ vibe with a much, much harder rock undertone. That really pisses me off, because I was hoping for this band to be a female fronted rock monster, and I’m not wrong. Just own your style instead of putting these other female bands on the list. I don’t think our industry has nearly enough of them and we don’t give them the respect they deserve when they do earn it. The singer is NOT AMY LEE, nor does she need to be. OWN your style. Put yourself out there and BE WHO YOU ARE! You don’t sound like HALESTORM or EVANESCENCE, and that’s fine. To me you have a unique style that you should own. Enough ranting, let me tell you what I think …
First and foremost, musically, this is awesome. This band picks all the right places to come in and lay back. They rock hard and every song has a ton of attitude. The vocals are top notch. This is no Amy Lee, or Taylor Momsen. She doesn’t sing the operatic style of Lee or with the raspy, gritty vocals of Momsen. This girl has her own voice, and that’s a huge plus. Smooth and strong, powerful when she wants to be. She sounds like her own woman. The band sounds like their own thing, too. They’re in a unique position to put some songs out there, and actually create a style and sound for themselves. The energy on Talk About It is awesome, the vocals are perfect, and the song itself is tight and hits hard. I’m also going to say this, because all but the very best of female fronted rock bands seem to do it eventually. The singer doesn’t sexualize herself for the sake of turning views or gaining men to sign up based on her look. Is she pretty? Of course. But she’s not using that trait to sell herself for the sake of fame and fortune. She’s using her voice and what she has to say to do it. Good on you, girl! Keep doing that and don’t let the industry do what it tries to do every time, and make you just another sex toy who only writes pop ballads and junk candy songs. You do what you do, and don’t let them change you.
Pick up this band, get to know them and help push them into the limelight. I don’t think we see enough of this kind of stuff. When we do, the old men in the industry turn it into junk and then shove it into the pile with the rest of them. This is a band worth hearing. This is a band worth playing over and over. I like it alot and I think some girl power might be the shot in the arm rock ‘n’ roll needs right now. Not to mention a little more fun, passion, and energy. Keep it up!
(4.5 / 5)
