You can listen to the album below via YouTube. If you appreciate the music, we encourage you to support the artists by buying their music digitally or physically online or from your local record shop.
The blogging platform used for RW/FF will not publish the character at the end of Beak. Instead it publishes it as ">". Therefore for the sake of this article, I have had to rename this excellent Bristol trio's third album 'III', otherwise it would be published as '>>>'. Hope this all makes sense.
A revelation for those interested in proggy, murky sounds, the band have come into their own on this extraordinary, progressive and strange LP. Opening with 'The Brazilian', where ghostly, discordant warming vocals play against the coldness of the atmospheres, this quality is presented with perfection on the excellent 'Brean Down', with its foggy keys, and decayed beauty. Mysterious, gloomy and alluring, its wonderfully odd analogue sounds are partnered with a great drum sound. The dusty, intense percussion also lifts 'Birthday Suit', while twisty, intricate rhythms capture the mind on 'Harvester'. The B movie soundtrack-styled epic 'Elle Sauvange' brings ominous vibes, creepy keys and a weird disco beat, while the neo-Krautrock flavours of 'Teisco' is a highlight. 'King Of The Castle' is Beak's own twisted version of rock n roll, almost Fall-like in its building repetition, and 'RSI' delivers fine psychedelica with driving Motorik beats and intertwining synth patterns. With its outstanding production, it's one of the album's most instant standouts. Elsewhere, BBC Radiophonic Workshop meets prog-funk comes to mind on the funereal 'Abbots Leigh', and on the closing 'When We Fall', West Coast folk leads into another Kraut jam.
Beak's musical vision re-emerges more accomplished and effective than ever on this fine third album that stands as their finest work so far. 8/10
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