Daylight Basement, the new quartet led by former Kuma frontwoman Bré Loughlin, features an amazing lineup: drummer Davis Martin (Maktub); bassist/vocalist Dejha Colantuono (Rotten Apples, Atomic Bombshells); and guitarist David Bos (the Jeunes). Very impressive... especially considering that Loughlin never intended to start a new band.
Loughlin originally created Daylight Basement last May, as a solo side project from her full-time band, Kuma. "This was just going to be me and my computer, forever." Under that moniker, she played a couple shows. "It was totally Traci + the Plastics–style, everything prerecorded, and me just jumping around with my guitar." Then, suddenly, she was ousted from Kuma. What could have been a setback turned out to be a boon. When word spread that she was a free agent, Martin, Colantuono, and Bos each expressed interest in playing with her. Daylight Basement the band was born.
As captured on their forthcoming debut, Any Kind of Pretty, this fuller incarnation invigorates and expands Loughlin's edgy pop rock; the opening "Godspeed Girl" bounces along like a lighthearted outtake by the Cars. Strong hooks see the program through an array of moods. Over driving guitars and electronic embellishments, Loughlin's singing flips between a wail and a growl on "Crying," then cuts to the quick on "Just Kiss Me." Her striking voice is a love-it-or-hate-it instrument, à la Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries. It's an appropriate comparison, since no matter how you react to Daylight Basement, they make indelible pop music, and pro or con, they evoke passionate reactions.
