This Monday, October 15th, Beabadoobee released her fifth EP, Space Cadet. Previous EPs include: Lice, Patched Up, Loveworm, and Loveworm (Bedroom Sessions). This EP is a natural progression in style following Loveworm which was released in April of 2019. Comparing Space Cadet to Bea’s first EP, Lice, you might not even realize it’s the same artist, but factoring in Patched Up and Loveworm, there is a clear progression from Bea’s soft solo songs with her guitar to the band’s now 90s Pavement, Sonic Youth, My Buddy Valentine, and Case Choice inspired indie rock style. Like Bea says before every release, she’s never been more proud and excited to put out this music. While answering questions on her Instagram story, her and bassist Eliana said that “Are You Sure” is the song they’re most excited to perform. Matty Healy, frontman of The 1975, “ripped guitar” for “Are You Sure,” said Bea when a fan complimented to guitar riffs on the EP. On her Instagram story, Bea said, “I want people to like die in the mosh pit.” Beabadoobee is currently touring and visiting America for the first time opening for Clairo’s Immunity Tour.
Elliot Bech (known as @chubbypumpers on instagram) is the artist behind the wicked cover art for Loveworm, She Plays Bass, I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus, and Space Cadet.
At this point in time, Bea has been one of my top three favorite artists for about a year, and I really want everyone to know about her. Her bio on Spotify reads:
So I thought I’d give her a little introduction.
The song that first got me hooked on Bea about a year ago was “Susie May,” a single she released in 2018, which is already much different than the style of Space Cadet. Interestingly, Bea said that the last song on the EP “Space Cadet,” actually took the longest to write, stating that she originally started writing it before Patched Up, released in December 2018, and then finished it for the current EP. Bea released singles “She Plays Bass” and “I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus” in August and September respectively. “She Plays Bass” refers to the bassist in the group, Eliana, who is also Bea’s best friend, and how they both sometimes wish they could dump their boyfriends, Oscar and Soren, and just date each other.
Bea has always been known to make almost exclusively sad music and says the song she ends an EP with is ideally a transition piece to what she expects her future works to look like. In the last song of this EP, “Space Cadet,” she says: “So quit being so negative It’s fine don’t be a temporary fix You say I don’t write happy songs So I guess this is the first one”
So maybe we’ll be seeing a happier side of Bea in the future that we haven’t heard yet.