Prodigyboys trade abrasive rap for pop on Moosekandid
Saturday 31st October 2026 on 08:15 in
Estonia
Estonian band Prodigyboys swap their abrasive earlier sound for polished pop on their self-released album “Moosekandid,” while retaining a playful edge, ERR reviewer Neit-Eerik Nestor writes. The album receives a score of 7 out of 10.
The shift is striking after “Nihilism,” the band’s debut album, released four years ago. Its sharp edges, deep bass and intense performances give way on “Moosekandid” to radio-pop synths, simple beats and a smoother sound.
The band’s time-travelling experiments, drawing on styles from 2016, 2013 and 2008, are carried by an infectious sense of fun without dictating how listeners should respond. Producer Kedzer and the band’s songwriters show a versatility that may surprise listeners. The reviewer says it will be interesting to see what musical directions they take next, while adding that a return to rage rap would be welcome.
Each track and line has a joke or an ironic veil, but the humour is understated rather than forceful. Much of it comes from the band’s wholehearted embrace of aggressive playboy personas, whose imagined lives could be spent in a penthouse with a pool or an aunt’s basement. The commitment comes through in everything, from the glint in their eyes to the clothes they choose.
The winks are apparent from the opening minute, when vocalist Beebi sings over disco with a lightly husky voice: “Baby, this isn’t jazz / Rock your body / What else can you do / This is what you’ve been given.” The reviewer calls it “higher-level dad-core,” complete with an unbuttoned light-pink shirt, upturned collar and backwards cap.
The band sometimes revisits its earlier sound on “Sport” and “Tegin Pahandust,” then ventures further afield on “Laisalt,” a Brazilian funk-inspired track that still nods to “Vamos a la playa” and Koit Toome’s “Nädalalõpp.” Nestor names “Tegin Pahandust” and “Laisalt” as the album’s strongest tracks, balancing the worlds of “Nihilism” and “Tiiger.”
“Tiiger” sits near the album’s midpoint. The change of direction that came with the track was likely the main reason the band’s mysterious rappers, known for dark under-eyes and chokers, turned their ship’s bow toward a different horizon.