BEANGROWERS: BEANGROWERS
May 2001
After notching a first for Maltese music by signing to a major foreign
label, local indie band Beangrowers follow up the acclaimed 48k with
this self-titled record. I am expecting the 12 tracks to rely on the
alt-pop direction the band dallied with in small doses on their debut,
but – I am wrong! There is a distinct new ingredient in the mix.
The opening track, This Year’s Love, is significant in its use of
electronica, applied here to form an essential part of the melody, but
directionwise, the song retains the melodic traits of the first album.
The first single, Teen Titans, on the other hand signals a different
refreshed approach that attempts (successfully) to blend the
radio-friendliness of earlier singles with the band’s penchant for
unusual chorus hooks.
On Whitman, then, the band tones down the pace on a synth-punctuated
tune - occasionally reminiscent of Air’s dreamy sound - with Alison’s
hazy, lazy vocals giving the song the Beangrowers stamp of ballad
approval. By the next song, Nude In Reclining Pose, the music has sunk
to a morose depth. Inside the song’s melancholic shell, the lyrics
reflect a glimmer of hope. This shines through as the music fades out,
introducing the catchy riff of Ranchero, a mainly spoken-word affair
punctuated by a mild chorus that gives the song an overall cinematic
feel. Reading the lyrics of the serene Calliope (and a few other songs)
it seems that there is a darker lyrical element to this album, and
consequently also more musically sullen instances here than on 48k. The
beauty of it, as can be heard on Last Chance Butcher, is how the band
has merged the greyness of its post-punk alternative influences with
sparkling choruses or even breezy uplifting melodies, such as on
Waikiki, which also manages to blend in some cool trumpet interjections.
We’re just over the halfway mark, and I’m beginning to think that it
can’t possibly get any better than these last two songs. Wrong again!
Love Out There and Jose Clemente (again featuring clever horn
interludes) deftly blend the band’s alt-pop with a loungey feel, layered
over with Alison’s warm voice and the imported magic of electronica.
Both are enthralling, but not half as much as the haunting The Devil’s
Drum-Box, a stripped-down, sombre track, guided along by a simple piano
melody a la Satie that could easily double as a funeral march. The
closing track, The Place Where Lost Things Go, is another placid number,
loosely based on a plodding bassline, gentle drumming and Alison’s
gentle vocals, summing up Beangrowers’ refreshed direction. It is
evident that the band has made great steps from its debut outing – gone
are the brash guitar outbreaks, replaced instead by controlled
electronic ramblings and a warmer approach in general. Truly a case of
saving the best for last, and with promise of better things to come!
Recommended weblink: www.beangrowers.net
Read our review of Beangrowers' first album here!
