When it comes to modern indie pop rock, there are a few instruments that come immediately to mind – the guitar, drums, maybe even a cheeky synth. You probably don’t think about the harp though.
By Graeme Smith
Feature photo by David Zayas Jr
New York City, USA-based Stephanie Babirak has built her unique brand around the classical instrument. Her new album Rotten Fruit has introduced us to that brand.
Her’s is a sound that blends quirky arrangements with insightful lyrics. Lead track and album opener Apocalypse is our first taste. “ChatGPT is going to eat me when it gains sentience,” she laments in the verse before homing in on what really matters. “This is a good old-fashioned love affair,” declares the chorus and we are hooked.
Its anxious yet cathartic story is told against a backdrop of jangly alternative pop centred around the harp. It doesn’t sound like it should work, but it really does. Perhaps it’s the track’s title but my mind went to St. Vincent as I listened (her Apocalypse Song is my favourite of hers.)
The opener tees up an album that is full of the delightfully unexpected and the thoughtfully poetic. Waves and Whispers transports us to the seaside in a wistful, nostalgic effort. Waterline introduces a little defiance.
“The title Rotten Fruit grew out of Waterline,” says Babirak, “but it ended up becoming a framework for thinking about ‘badness’ across the entire record. The album name comes from that Biblical idea that you can judge a tree by its fruit, meaning that you understand something by what it actually produces rather than what it claims to be.”
Babirak uses the record to try and understand where that ‘badness’ lives. “It’s less about labelling something as good or bad,” she stresses, “and more about paying attention to what is actually there, even when it conflicts with what you hoped or believed.”
She meditates on this not only through her own compositions but with an eye on the classics too. A respectful, patient rendition of Moon River (originally performed by Audrey Hepburn) stirs the cockles late on. It kicks off a classic-feeling final run where the harp is even more in focus. Utah injects a rock edge. Coda provides a short, delicate lullaby to close.
A dreamy unique sound and thought-provoking lyrics make this album stand out. I’d go as far to say it’s an album of the year contender and there’s not been many of them for me so far in 2026. It’s succinct, choosing quality over quantity and as a result ends up being perfectly formed.
Rotten Fruit was written and recorded with Peter Scoma who sings and plays guitar on every track. It was mixed and produced by Joshua Benash. The album is out now, and you can listen to it below.
