by Kris Handel
So You Like Slippers? introduces Madeline Babuka-Black’s (Le Pain, Yucky Duster), new project, Slippers, to the world of high-powered and bouncy power-pop. Her songs are full of delightful melodies that at times are reminiscent of early-mid period Teenage Fanclub and Velvet Crush with tinges of bubbly garage punk. Babuka-Black's songs might have the appearance of a bright and cheerful sweetness, but there is tension or sourness lurking underneath the candy coating that adds a bit of complexity. Slippers also have foundations in nervy early guitar-driven quirky new wave jitteriness, complimented by her chirping vocals that have a bewitching energy.
Slippers show off their pop smarts in different and equally fun ways on tracks like "XTC" and "Nice Weather" with a playful yet respectful sensibility that is hard not to adore. On the former Babuka-Black's vocals pipe in over nervy guitars and wiggling keyboard riffs that hearken back to the early days of the anxious and jumpy namesake. With "Nice Weather" she calls back to chiming jangle-pop and sudden shifts in tone that highlight the surprising intricacy and compassion. This track is a great example of Slippers’ ability to coat tense emotions in attractive packaging as Babuka-Black tackles commitment and other feelings when moments may be shrouded in cloudiness.
"On the Line" highlights the ramshackle DIY punk aesthetic at the heart of Slippers, as guitars chime rapidly and bass bobs in and out of crashing cymbals and drum fills on the verge of chaos. They allow themselves to indulge in their spiky recklessness on a track like this to it's great, heart-warming advantage. "Why Do it Well" shows Slippers at their most earnest as Babuka-Black prioritizes having a good time over competency in various forms. It cuts to the heart of their existence in a song that revels in its awkward and enthusiastic charms with sheer abandon, instantly finding a way to break the chill of the coldest hearts in the audience.
On their full length debut, Slippers show themselves to be a band with endless charisma and charm, immediately striking and impactful, warmly inviting the audience into the party. Babuka-Black melds all veins of power-pop and antsiness into a compelling batch of songs that are unafraid to be unabashedly open and accepting of turning apparent weaknesses into explosions of delightfulness. Slippers are a project that is full of spirit, fully embracing their effervescent approach. So You Like Slippers? stakes it's claim as likely one of the most outright jubilant sounding records of the year and a album whose energy and vibrancy really can't be lauded enough.