Review: beabadoobee Is In It For the Long Haul with ‘This is How Tomorrow Moves’

RATING CHART:
1 note – Pass
1.5 notes – Mediocre
2 notes – Average
2.5 notes – Above Average
3 notes – Good
3.5 notes – Great
4 notes – Excellent
4.5 notes – Exceptional
5 notes – Classic

beabadoobee
This Is How Tomorrow Moves
(Dirty Hit)
🎵🎵🎵1/2

Slayer, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Kanye West, Donovan, Black Sabbath, and ZZ Top. Those wildly disparate artists have little in common other than producer Rick Rubin, who was associated with some of their influential releases. Add beabadoobee to the list.

The young, Taylor Swift-approved Beatrice Kristi Llejay Laus (which explains the need for a nickname), whose work is often described as “bedroom pop,” shows that by hiring a pro like Rubin to navigate her third full-length studio release, she is serious about advancing her career. 

[RELATED: Beabadoobee: A Guiding Light]

This Is How Tomorrow Moves combines the electric guitar rush of her 2020 debut with the more personal, low-key allure of the 2017 breakout single “Coffee” (combined with hip-hop singer Powfu and retitled “Death Bed,” it’s beabadoobee’s biggest hit) and the 2022 homespun Beatopia. 

Rubin’s talents help make this the Filipino singer/songwriter’s most polished and consistent set. It’s especially impressive considering that six studios in the States and the U.K. were involved. Significantly, one of them is Abbey Road. While her music doesn’t exactly scream Beatles, there are plenty of melodic undercurrents to songs like “One Time” (which includes some psychedelic guitar), the ringing “Beaches,” and the sweetly swinging opener “Take a Bite” to indicate she has absorbed some of their natural charm.

Her hushed, girlish, whispery voice wraps around personal lyrics tinged with darkness (“Tie My Shoes” points to a strained relationship, perhaps with her dad), stripped-down piano (“Girl Song”), a jazzy, strummed acoustic ditty (“The Man Who Left Too Soon” references a father she wishes she knew better) and breezy tropicalia (“A Cruel Affair” discusses co-dependency). She’s particularly convincing on the propulsive “Post,” combining rock and psychedelia into edgy, striking pop.   

Rubin keeps everything compressed, with over half the tunes clocking in under three minutes and none extending to four. 

Adorable, confident, and self-assured define beabadoobee on her most mature album yet. One that, at just 24 years old, indicates she’s in it for the long haul.

Photo by Jules Moskovtchenko