Babe Rainbow, through the newest single, ‘Smash the Machine’, reminded the world once again of an era of music long lost but never forgotten.

Imagine it: it’s 1987, and you are driving down the highway on a warm summer day with your best friends on your way to the beach, sunscreen and bathing suits already on with a lunchbox filled with water, snacks, and perhaps even some booze. You turn on the radio and ‘Smash the Machine’ by Babe Rainbow comes on, bringing this whole experience full circle.

Truth be told, even when I discovered the song, I immediately reminded myself of how long I hadn’t thought of bands like The Moody Blues, and Beach Boys. Surf/Psychedelic rock is a genre that used to own the top of the charts, but now lives as a niche, or a nostalgic memory. The way Babe Rainbow encapsulates and perfects every aspect of that genre is mind-blowing. Every single aspect of this song could’ve been made by The Moody Blues: the gritty drums, the acoustic guitars layer atop heavily chorused electric guitar chords, the clear-and-loud bass lines, all topped by that distinct sound of vocal harmonies and spoken word delivery. The production does such a wonderful job making the whole package seem very authentic, Babe Rainbow have not spared a single detail in this song. Outside of the genius musicality, the execution of that authentic late 60’s rock sound is a work of an in and out of itself.

‘Smash the Machine’ is a true testament of how far passion and love for a certain sound can bring you. Sure, it has its gimmick, but that very gimmick will satisfy so many listeners who are either nostalgic for that sound or discovering the soundtrack to the parents/grand parents’ youth. It’s a wonderful piece of music that deserves to be studied and praised for the amount of careful details that went into the making of it.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.