Cognac, France’s Baaj & Baaj is a one-man project – one person writing, performing, and producing everything solo, which is becoming its own kind of artistic statement in an era where bedroom pop is everywhere. The Cure and Depeche Mode fingerprints are audible in the synth work and vocal reverb, but there’s a funk undercurrent running through the production that nudges it closer to Daft Punk than straight new wave. The 80s English pop influence is deliberate, and the project pairs that nostalgic palette with lyrics about modern issues and human interaction. “Don’t Give Up” came out on February 20th.
The song does what it sets out to do. It’s uplifting and danceable, built on shimmery synths and a clean, polished production aesthetic that sits comfortably in the alt-pop lane. The hooks are present, the mood is bright, and the message – that nothing is ever truly lost, that lost causes are worth fighting – is delivered without any particular grit or urgency. It’s pleasant listening, the kind of track that works well as background energy without demanding too much from you. For fans of smooth, melodic synth-pop with an 80s tint, Baaj & Baaj scratch that itch.
As a new project, Baaj & Baaj is still finding its edges. The sonic ingredients are clearly in place – the production is clean, the influences are well-chosen, and the solo construction is impressive. With French radio appearances on the horizon and a string of gigs behind him, there’s momentum here. Whether “Don’t Give Up” converts anyone outside of the existing synth-pop faithful probably depends on how much further the project pushes its own personality in the releases that follow.