LOS ANGELES, CA- Earlier this year, I caught Bathe opening for Cymande at The Bellwether in Los Angeles. I remember thinking at the time that Bathe, a Brooklyn-based duo with a breezy, laid-back R&B sound, felt just slightly out of sync as an opener for the legendary UK funk collective. Not in a bad way, but like a different flavor in the same sonic palette. Cymande’s grooves thump with heavy rhythm and rootsy force, while Bathe flows like a smooth current beneath the surface. Still, their set was enjoyable, and their mellow charisma left an impression.
Fast forward a few months and I’m at the gym, mindlessly working out to random playlists when a track by Bathe slipped into the rotation. The track was “Sundress” and it was giving off some comparable Maxwell vibes. Easygoing vocals with a sort of lucky melancholy instantly, it brought me back to that night at The Bellwether. It hit me that I never really did a deep dive into their catalog, so I did what anyone obsessed with discovery would do: I went down the rabbit hole.
Bathe is made up of Devin Hobdy and Corey Smith-West, two childhood friends who reconnected years later in New York and began making music that threads R&B, indie rock, and a little glimmer of soul into a unique, unmistakably modern sound. They self-describe their music as “surf R&B,” which is oddly perfect. There’s a fluidity to their sound, but also a sense of mood and depth that runs beneath the surface. Since their 2019 debut I’ll Miss You, the duo has seemed to have carved out a niche that’s as dreamy as it is grounded.
At The Bellwether, they performed as a two-piece, trading lush guitar lines and falsetto-driven melodies with a level of ease that made the venue feel more intimate than it was. There was no big production, no flashing lights…just good, vibey music that pulled the room into their world. It’s the kind of set that feels like it should’ve been outside, maybe near a beach or under string lights in a backyard, with everyone sipping something cold. Still, in the midst of a Cymande crowd that leaned older and funkier, Bathe held their own with charm and quiet confidence.
Earlier this year, they dropped their new album Inside Voice(s), a record that builds on their previous work and reinforces their style. It’s patient and fluid with no sudden moves, just a cohesive body of work that rewards a relaxed listening. The production is crisp but never clinical, with soft guitar tones, subtle textures, and vocals that glide like a breeze off the coast. If Bicoastal was about navigating distance and duality, Inside Voice(s) feels more rooted, more present, like they’ve settled into themselves.
What makes Inside Voice(s) linger is how emotionally attuned it feels. It’s like a personal diary, cracked open and set to slow-burning instrumentation. The songs don’t clamor for attention, but they earn it all the same. The whole album is seductive in its restraint. Soft ached sensuality wrapped in groove.
Throughout the record, Bathe leans into vulnerability without losing cool. It’s a tightrope walk they manage gracefully. Themes of desire, longing, and reflection are explored not through overwrought balladry but through whispered admissions and ambient grooves. There’s no melodrama, just honest emotion presented with care.
In a streaming landscape full of algorithm-chasing singles and one-note hooks, I was actually surprised that they popped into my algorithm at all. Inside Voice(s) offers a full-album experience. Each track bleeds into the next with immersive mood. It’s music for quiet mornings and winding-down evenings, for headphones and solitude. A little bit sad, a little bit sexy, and completely unbothered by the need to shout.
Bathe isn’t trying to be the loudest voice in the room. They’re the ones speaking in hushed tones from the corner—but say the most when you lean in. Inside Voice(s) is a strong, assured statement from a duo that knows exactly who they are, and if you give them the space, they’ll take you somewhere soft and sincere.
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