Tag Archives: la

I was supposed to go out to Los Angeles in about a week and a half. I won’t because reality came calling: between job interviews and final exams, life has become revoltingly predictable, including those fleeting moments of lechery and denial. Yet, as Hume would write, we are not any particular person or character but rather the outward expression of the constant flow of emotions running seamlessly through us. Perhaps a little too abstract but it is a point which, in my honest opinion, Bright Beast understands.

A Los Angeles experimental group with clear shoegaze, electronica and, dare I say, early Goth influences, Bright Beats sounds like the incarnation of Bauhaus meets The Ponys, of Weekend meets She Wants Revenge. You get the idea. However, what is more interesting to me is the lack of background fuss they incorporate. There is no roaring soundwalls or loops of lofi fuzz. The notes are simple and strong, resounding in the empty void with a haunting familiarity. Sure, I’m confident they use their share of pedals and synthesizers however they approach these instruments in a minimalist maner, allowing the song writing to speak for itself. And it speaks, perhaps more than one would like to hear.

Anyways, with only 500 copies of the vinyl, it’d be well worth a listen and a bit of your attention. Sure, you could always get the download but come on: there’s just something beautiful about staring into the massive vinyl in your hands. Personal favorite, you ask? Camera, without a doubt, however once more, what truly appeals is how the album flows as a whole. So decide for yourself and learn the meaning of one’s own character: It’s always calm before the storm.

Bright Beast Bandcamp

- Cliff