Milo & The Understudies

While family acts are not exactly a rarity in the music biz, perhaps outside of the Jackson Five, DeBarge and the Jets, how often do you find five young siblings who not only mesh their vocal talents, but also ooze so much versatility that it almost seems selfish? In addition to the family’s live show that features synchronized dance grooves and jazz choreography, all five members of Batch play piano, while the individual teammates—Blake, Alanna, Trent, Claire and Heath—have also mastered a calliope of musical instruments ranging from congas, tenor sax, clarinet and French horn. Debut EP “What A Chatterbox” is mostly a high-energy affair, bright and peppy and conjuring a wholesome sense of innocence. Heath handles songwriting duties, giving Batch a signature sound that blends massive amounts of harmonies and a liberal dollop of theatricality via pop and R&B arrangements. “Take Your Time” is the ideal opening number, showcasing a one-minute acapella intro before the group trades off rapid-fire verses. Giddy “I Think You Know” again is layered with velvet harmonies, while “Chatterbox” is a cutesy autobiographical shout-out song in which the kids sing, “Be somebody, be a family, be a team, then just play the game. See what five became.” The collection’s best track is one of two ballads, “Friend,” which pledges undying support through good and bad, alongside a simple chug-along melody. Without a doubt, Batch is beautifully imaged, easy to define, with obvious appeal as family fare (and multi-cultural appeal: The kids' dad is African American and mom is Caucasian). As the group matures, it might be prudent to bring in a more experienced composer to help season the act’s overall persona. But for the moment—and throughout “Chatterbox”—the love and joy of familial melodic unity is nothing less than a paramount achievement. - Billboard Discoveries