Review: Superfood's Debut Album Bambino

words by ava butera

Everything about this band screams retro, in a quirky way. From the deeply saturated graphics of the album cover and the music videos accompanying each song to the small commentaries in select songs on this album, Superfood is definitely doing something way different than the typical indie band at the moment.

After seeing countless social media posts about the new release from the band, I knew I would have to check out what all the fuss was about. Having never listened to Superfood prior to the release of Bambino, I honestly had no idea what to expect. In case you didn’t know, Superfood is currently signed to Dirty Hit Records, a label that boasts successful and up and coming artists such as Wolf Alice, The 1975, and Pale Waves. Their artist roster contains similar sounding artists, yet each contain a unique sound. Therefore, I had hope that I would enjoy this album to an extent, coming from a Dirty Hit band, however I did not realize how MUCH I would actually enjoy this album since this was my first time listening to Superfood.

The sound of this album as a whole is very bluesly and hip-hop inspired, yet it truly comes full circle with its overall sound of indie rock. Lead singer Dom Ganderton mentioned in an interview prior to the release of the album, that the band would not being going in the typical Britpop direction, but would instead incorporate some blues elements into the album. Superfood hail from Birmingham, England, which is home to many Britpop bands, so the similarities were definitely prevalent, however, Superfood creates their own style, especially on Bambino.

The album opens up with “Where’s the Bass Amp?” a cleverly titled track that has many different elements simultaneously occurring throughout the song. This song is bound to be stuck in your head all day after hearing it just once. Between the constant repetition of the phrase “Boom Chicka Boom,” the perfect falsetto of Dom Ganderton, and the clinking of glass, this song is extremely infectious. The album then goes to track two, “I Can’t See.” When listening to this song, I imagine walking down the streets of a big city on a sunny day. It just gives off such happy vibes and I can see this being the fan favorite on the album. Even though it was one of the singles, this song is definitely a stand out track.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a Dirty Hit production without a few instrumental songs sporadically spread throughout the album! “Wibble Mtn” and “Lov” both contain no vocals but instead serve as nice transitions in between songs.

Other notably groovy moments on this album include songs like “Unstoppable,” which has a very reminiscent feel to it. It’s almost as if it came straight out of the 90’s alternative scene. “Need A Little Spider” shows one of the bands major influences, Queens of the Stone Age. With its heavy guitar riffs and distorted vocals, fans can spot similarities between Superfood and one of their inspirations.
As I mentioned earlier, Superfood are definitely a different band in the scene and I believe they can use this as an advantage to gain more exposure. Since their music is SO diverse yet collective, fans of various music genres can find something they enjoy on Bambino. I can’t wait to see where this band goes from here. Big things are in the future for Superfood.