Imagine Mazzy Star, Dusty Springfield, Lana Del Rey, Miley Cyrus, and Amy Winehouse having a baby. They call up Stevie Nicks to help raise her. Then they send her out into the world to make music. That’s what I hear when I listen to Shhugar.
There’s smoke, soul, drama, and attitude here, with a sound that moves between dreamy psychedelia, retro soul, country, Gothic Americana, and big, anthemic pop. It’s pop from the wrong side of the tracks.
What I love about the music is how naturally these influences come together. Baby Nova has a great voice, shifting from a playful, conversational delivery to something powerful, expressive, and full of rock-and-roll swagger.
She knows how to build a song, too, whether she’s creating a shadowy atmosphere, laying down a groove, or gradually opening things up into a sweeping chorus. The melodies are strong, the arrangements have character, and the production gives the songs room to surprise you. There’s a real sense of craft here, even when the music sounds loose, mischievous, or a little dangerous.
The songwriting is just as interesting. Baby Nova can be blunt, graphic, and funny, with plenty of F-bombs and sexual candor. But there’s more going on beneath the surface than those qualities might initially suggest. Her lyrics have sharp observations, memorable imagery, and a knack for capturing the contradictions of people who know better but don’t necessarily do better.
She can make a song about a bad relationship funny without pretending it isn’t damaging, or turn an uncomfortable experience into something catchy enough to sing along with. The writing doesn’t always announce its depth. Sometimes you have to get past the joke to appreciate what’s underneath it.
“Great White Sharks” is a terrific example of how the music and writing work together. It opens with a shadowy, almost noir-like atmosphere before breaking into an expansive indie pop-rock chorus. The lyrics evoke a period of life spent dealing with bad situations and people who take advantage of you, with the feeling of someone trying to make it through and get out the other side.
“Broke Bitch Boogie” takes a completely different approach, with a playful, organ-driven groove and a wicked sense of humor. It’s a funny, danceable good time, and a reminder that Baby Nova doesn’t need to make every difficult subject heavy.
“Jesus, Close Your Eyes” has a sultry, psychedelic blues quality, with a little Mazzy Star haze and a touch of the Doors in the music. The title is a cheeky request for divine discretion while the narrator gives in to temptation. It’s sexy and mischievous, with no need to turn the joke into a grand statement.
“Dodge,” meanwhile, is rooted in country, but there’s an echoey, dreamy atmosphere around it that gives the song a different character.
“Death Wish” is a great example of Baby Nova’s knack for crafting a cinematic pop song, with rich vocals and dramatic swells that build toward a sweeping chorus. “Killed for Sport” brings another shade of darkness to the album, adding to the sense that there’s plenty going on beneath the catchy melodies and provocative surface.
Across these songs, Baby Nova moves between sultry, dreamy atmospheres and bigger, more forceful pop without losing the edge that makes the album so compelling.
“You’re Too Pretty for Buffalo” might be the album’s emotional center. It sounds like Baby Nova is reassuring another woman that she’s better than the people who’ve made her doubt herself, until you realize she’s singing those words to herself. The song becomes a moving act of self-love, especially after all the lust, humor, and bad decisions elsewhere on the album. It genuinely brought a tear to my eye.
That moment of self-love feels especially meaningful on an album that spends so much time exploring the ways people hurt each other, the mistakes we make, and the defenses we develop along the way. There’s no easy resolution here, just the recognition that understanding yourself and learning to value yourself are ongoing processes.
Shhugar was a terrific surprise for me. I came to it without knowing much about Baby Nova, and found an artist with a distinctive musical sensibility, a terrific voice, and songwriting that rewards a closer listen. It’s an album that can make you laugh, make you uncomfortable, and occasionally catch you off guard with how deeply it makes you feel something.
Verdict: Great
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