Look, something’s got to be popular, and it should be Ruby Goe. It would be pretty hard to argue that there’s no place in the world for popular mainstream pop music with accessibility at its heart, at the expense of everything else. And when it’s done as well as Ruby Goe does it, it might start making all those miserable indie albums that Pitchfork tell you you like feel pretty dull. The reason why she does pop music so well is because she’s taken no compromises; the emphasis here may be on obvious hooks, heavy beats and big melodies, but she does it with a sort of conviction that convinces you that it’s at least her speaking, rather than her record label.
Whether you like it or not, pop music will continue to exist, and Ruby Goe does it with more honesty than most. Don’t even consider this an apology on behalf of pop music – what makes it any less of a valid method of expression than your (our, admittedly) self-indulgent introspection? “Badman”, especially, is a fine piece of music, all stabbing chords, a tantalisingly patient introduction, and ferociously passionate lyrics spat out with her soulful voice. It puts modern indie in perspective; it’s arguable that artists like Ruby Goe are doing far more interesting things than people are achieving with guitars and a particular sense of self-loathing these days.
