For those of you who haven't been fortunate enough to cross paths with
San Francisco's Beulah, I am honored to be the first to clue you in
on this band in general, and this album specifically. And for those
of you who are in the know, you still don't have a clue what you're in
for, because we're talking big time sonic evolution.
Handsome Western States, Beulah's 1998 release on Elephant 6 Records,
heralded handsome praise and a bounty of comparisons to Pavement. I
second the notions, and add that the stripped down work of Miles Kurosky
and Bill Swan, armed with only a couple of guitars, a drum kit, and a
4-track, found something new to say about indie rock, and that's
impressive. It's all the best, with none of the mess.
In the course of a year,
they have obviously undergone some cataclysmic mind expansion. They've
broadened their horizons on a continental scale, and embraced the retro
sounds and elaborate instrumentation of their pals and Elephant 6
compatriots The Apples in Stereo; both groups give up major props to
likes of the Beach Boys Pet Sounds and The Beatles Revolver.
There's so much going on here musically that the mind reels. Take for
example just the first 55 seconds of "Matter Versus Space," whose sounds
I will describe in order of appearance: sampled drum track (left ear),
clean sweet intricate poppy guitar line (right ear, overlaid with spacey
keyboard sounds), mariachi horns, real drum track, distorted guitar
(right ear), lead vocals (left ear), cooing backing vocals (right ear),
and dual steel acoustic guitars (one in each ear). And amazingly, it
all sounds just how it was meant to - really frickin' good.
While the instrumentation is decidedly different, you could argue that
the album sounds a lot like The Apples' newest, Tone Soul Evolution,
albeit it with a lot less studio polish. Yet I find that Tone Soul...
affects me mostly in the ear region, but the words swirling around on
Heartstrings hit me right where the title implies. A girl could fall in
love with a guy who writes "We wrestle with our bodies/ awash like
untamed rivers against your shores/And armies waiting in their secret
places that gently twist around your bed." I can't help but
think of Doug Martsch of Built to Spill, both lyrically and vocally - and
that's some of the highest praise I can muster. The lyrics are
evocative, descriptive, compelling, inventive, witty, and confessional.
That is, of course, if you can peel your brain away from the music to
give 'em the attention they deserve.
As Kurosky croons on the album's closer: "All you need is a pretty
song." Well, if that's true, you're set, because he's got 11 of 'em
ready and waiting for ya. In the meantime, lest they feel neglected,
I'll just keep 'em nice and warm.
If you like Beulah, check out:
Built to Spill There's Nothing Wrong With Love
The Apples in Stereo Tone Soul Evolution
The Beatles Revolver
