Beams
The Gutters and the Glass (EP)
Not knowing a) I don’t own a record player and b) I live in the UK and c) my normal writing outlets don’t review singles, a Canadian record label offered me a special 45RPM single that was being released for Record Store Day; thankfully they included a video in the e-mail and I was blown away; so subsequently requested a download; which duly arrived the following day.
The A-side, The Way We Run is genuinely one of the most exciting songs I’ve heard for years; probably because I’m a huge fan of the Cowboy Junkies and many years ago the Go-Gos; both of whom appear to have influenced this Toronto 7 piece ‘collective.’
The female vocals on The Way We Run are deliciously smoky and sultry while the banjo challenges some slightly distorted guitar as the lead instrument on a melodic and harmonious Country-Folk song; which is as fresh as a Spring lamb and bounces around in much the same way.
The B-side Black Shadow is a touch darker in content; but really cool in a quirky way as the two girls sound a bit like Stevie Nicks harmonising with Kate Bush as the Lightening Seeds crash away in the background – which is meant to be a compliment.
I can only apologise if my knowledge of the band is sketchy; but there wasn’t a Press Release and their website is deliberately vague; so hang on in there as I tell you what I know.
As far as I can tell Beams released an album called Just Rivers in 2013 but have now ‘moved their sound on’ as they prepare the ground for their seconds album sometime in the future.
I’ve felt like I was 14 again tonight; playing these two tracks over and over again because they are so good. I haven’t felt this excited about a band for years.
Released April 20th 2015
The Rocking Magpie 