Habibi
Brooklyn’s Habibi know a thing or two about the power of minimalism. Drummer Karen Isabel has a polite, sweet way with her toms and snares, bassist Erin Campbell isn\'t averse to the same note thumping away for a measure or two, and guitarist Lenny Lynch chooses and picks her notes carefully, for a sound that\'s refreshingly clean and airy. The icing is the effortless, girl-group perfection of singer Rahill Jamalifard, whose detached coolness factor nudges Habibi’s songs into perfectly formed pop treats. The music\'s roots are in early female punk, garage, and surf music, but without the typical layers of distortion and fuzz. There’s a bit of Austin’s Yellow Fever in Habibi\'s minimalist approach, a shade of Vivian Girls (sans macerating reverb), and a hint of Brooklyn’s The Babies’ restrained jangle. Though the focus here is pretty clearly on love and lust, Jamalifard says the religion and folklore of her Persian ancestry play a role in her songwriting. Whatever inspired the adrenaline buzz of “Siin” and “Sweetest Talk,” the ‘60s glee of “I Got the Moves,” or the shimmying, booty-mover “Far from Right,” we’re just happy for the inspiration.
Brooklyn-based indie quintet Habibi were formed in the spring of 2011 by Detroit expatriates Rahill Jamalifard and Lenaya Lynch, tapping into their Motown roots of simple but infectious pop melodies delivered with punkish attitude. Jamalifard took lead vocal duties and Lynch played guitar and sang, and the lineup was rounded out by drummer Karen Isabel and bassist Erin Campbell. The band played often around the New York City area, eventually releasing several tracks in the form of 7" singles and online streams. They participated in the South by Southwest festival as well as tours with like-minded acts like King Tuff, and by 2014 they released a self-titled debut album of their dreamy-eyed and dancey pop on Burger Records. In 2015, they joined forces with La Luz to release a split single, and a four-song EP, Cardamom Garden, arrived in 2018.
A cursory listen to Brooklyn indie act Habibi's self-titled debut album would initially seem to suggest a straightforward punk approach to the classic girl group template.