In everything Babehoven do, there is a closeness. This is evident in the indie-folk duo’s music, written by Maya Bon and produced by her partner Ryan Albert, which patiently undresses the heart, layer by layer, until you can’t quite tell what’s left. Their debut album, “Light Moving Time”, released last month, collects songs that speak of many forms of intimacy directly, or investigate all the ways it falls apart. In their speaking, too, you can see the closeness from which this music is birthed—in the way the pair turn toward each other, waiting for the other to finish their thought, trusting each other enough to speak for both of them.
“Light Moving Time” is the debut full-length from Hudson, NY’s Babehoven (Maya Bon and Ryan Albert). It’s taken us a long time to get to the place we’re at,
Their sensitivity comes across in the music they make together—although it may sound gentle, the tracks often draw out a complex emotional map for the listener, with some terrains being more difficult than others. 2022 has been a prolific year for the Hudson-based pair, with an EP also released earlier this year. But on their first full-length, there seems to be something new, more sparkling and tangible. The songs reach toward the listener actively, and shimmer in your ears. Their trust for each other is not even a question.
This sort of communication is a large part of why the duo work so well together, with Bon commenting that Albert has the ability to become “egoless” in his work, never fighting back against her comments or critiques, even after a whole day of work on his part. But this sort of patient love (for their process, for others) shines through on their music,
“Light Moving Time” is emblematic of Babehoven’s wide range of dynamics, and each of those sounds are taken further as Bon explores the power of community, experiences of trauma, and explorations of changing relationships.
Babehoven have a new single out tomorrow!, Bon says “often” is my favourite song I’ve ever written and I’m excited to share it with you all. When Maya Bon and Ryan Albert met with their future label Double Double Whammy for the first time, they brought a collection of plump, homegrown tomatoes for the occasion.
That pastoral touch mirrors what the duo accomplish in their music as Babehoven. As practitioners of homespun indie rock, there’s a picturesque quality to their work that renders each listen multi-sensory. The Babehoven sound has a cooling texture, a verdant visual, an organic taste. But over six EPs in four years, the duo presented diverse approaches to cultivating those sensations, including soft, frank rock on “Demonstrating Visible Differences in Height“, haunting tape manipulation on “Yellow Has a Pretty Good Reputation” and molasses-slow folk on “Sunk”. The duo combine each of these styles and more on “Light Moving Time“, their long-anticipated debut LP.
On “Light Moving Time”, Babehoven are not in a rush. Relaxed tempos are central to their discography. Babehoven are Duster superfans and their shared preference for DIY recording gives the music its contemplative, hand-hewn texture. Their music rests at the intersection of the observant lyricism of Roy Orbison and the rhythmic creativity of Dear Nora. The resultant artifact is as crisp and pensive as the undulating Appalachian foothills.
Babehoven’s debut album ‘Light Moving Time’ available everywhere on LP/CD/digital October 28th, 2022 on Double Double Whammy Records.
The Fat Angel Sings 