Album: Handsome Western States
Year: 1997
Label: Elephant 6
Producer: artist
Best song: "Lay Low For The Letdown" OR "Dig The Subatomic Holdout #2"
Hey, we write catchy songs, dumbass.
This is the band's first album, easily their least polished and most lo-fi recoridng. Also the most guitar driven record in their catalogue, as most of the songs are drenched in slightly distorted melodic lines. The trademark horns and strings are used, but very sparingly, if at all on some songs. Miles Kurosky is in full time smartass mode here with a gambit of long and nonsensical song titles and lyrics like "God damn the Commies, wherever they are // We need someone to blame for closing this bar!" (from "Lay Low For The Letdown"). Although the album is tons of fun and there's not one bad song on it, the whole thing has a very rushed feel. And after hearing their later work you can't help but be a little disappointed and wonder what these songs would've sounded like had they been polished a little further. Good, but only if you're familiar with the rest of their discography and are curious.
~Austin
HOW TO ACQUIRE THE ALBUM...
Tried ordering this album from your local independent record store (because I know you're all good folks who would never support corporations, right?)? All they got was a super expensive import, if anything at all, right? Well, don't worry. You can go to the official Beulah website and they have it there for around 15 dollars, shipping and handling included. Is that a deal or what? UPDATE: Available on iTunes for $9.99!
Album: When Your Heartstrings Break
Year: 1999
Label: Elephant 6/Sugar Free
Producer: artist
Best song: "Emma Blowgun's Last Stand," "Calm Go The Wild Seas" OR "Silverado Days"
Ok, we've warmed up now.
Perhaps the first album was a fluke... perhaps not. The reason I say that is because structurally, the songs are all very similar: very layered and intricately written. The big difference here is the execution. It seems like last album they maybe didn't have the resources they did for this one. Just about every instrument ever created is utilized in some way, shape or form here (sidenote: exaggerated, but only slightly). Songs rotate between washes of My Bloody Valentine-ish distortion to cheap organs and accordians to lively horn sections. Lush would be an understatement. Truthfully, the whole thing smells of one big brilliant stroke of genius. The first album was good and promising. When Your Heartstrings Break comes through and makes good on the promises, along the way shattering any guidelines or pre-conceived notions of what you thought Beulah sounded like. A smashing victory in the make or break achievement department and one hell of a great record. Excellent.
~Austin
HOW TO ACQUIRE THE ALBUM...
Tried ordering this album from your local independent record store (because I know you're all good folks who would never support corporations, right?)? All they got was a super expensive import, if anything at all, right? Well, don't worry. You can go to the official Beulah website and they have it there for around 15 dollars, shipping and handling included. Is that a deal or what? UPDATE: Available on iTunes for $9.99!
Album: The Coast Is Never Clear
Year: 2001
Label: Velocette
Producer: artist
Best song: "What Will You Do When Your Suntan Fades?" OR "Night Is The Day Turned Inside Out"
Still catchy, still fun... wait, has anything changed?
Although a very worthy follow up to When Your Heartstrings Break, The Coast Is Never Clear feels a bit stale at times. A lot of the same sounds that made the last album a success are also present here, but it lacks the full on lushness of that record. What made that album so cool was that it wasn't afraid to be excessive. It wasn't afraid take chances by being completely over the top and unrestrained. And while this album is similar in spirit, it's a much more streamlined effort. But when certain chances are taken and things are shaken up a bit (the near perfect trumpet solo on "What Will You Do When Your Suntan Fades?" is a great example), the record really fills out its full potential. I know I kind of blasted it right out of the gate, but like I said, it's a more than worthy follow up to When Your Heartstrings Break (which is a hard task to accomplish). It's just not as good, that's all.
~Austin
Album: Yoko
Year: 2003
Label: Velocette
Producer: artist
Best song: I almost just put the entire tracklisting...
Hey Miles, what's on your mind?
It's made very clear from the drum loop and rhodes piano tinkled opening bars of "A Man Like Me" that this is a different sound for Beulah. This time around, Miles and the boys have seemingly gotten more lush (with less instruments, mind you) and gone through some personal hard times. Yes, the strings and horns are still present. But, surprisingly, most of the instrumental backings are made up of guitars of different types and pianos (did I hear a mellotron in there somwhere?). With songs being driven by quick distorted moments to moody slide guitar, their trademark lushness has gone nowhere. The whole record feels of broken promises, hopeless loves and the despair that sinks in upon realizing a relationship is doomed. A downer? Well, no. The subject matter is quite serious, especially for Beulah (and surprise, the titles actually fit the subject matter of the songs). But, there's a certain feeling of realization that just because things are gloomy now doesn't mean they're going to be like this forever. And, not to mention, this thing is consistent beyond belief. Though there's only ten songs, I was hard pressed to pick a favorite or even narrow it down. And even though the sound is mostly kept on a more subdued, mid-tempo note, the songs distance themselves from each fairly quickly through Miles' newly found lyrical prowess (not that he wasn't a great lyricist before, but now he's become quite the poet). From the bitter lashing out (on "A Man Like Me") to questioning his faith ("Me And Jesus Don't Talk Anymore"), he tackles one sensitive subject after another with class and elegance. Whether Yoko is a clever clue to fans that the band is pulling in different creative directions or it's just an abbreviation for one of the album's highest peaks "You're Only King Once" is unclear. What is clear is that the band really found a creative niche this time around. Everything was in perfect position and the end result is their finest album. Fantastic.
~Austin
Album: Demo
Year: 2003
Label: Velocette
Producer: artist
Best song: Again, they're all pretty good...
Yoko... naked.
Not long after Yoko was released, the band released this demo version of the album recorded on 4 and 8 tracks. The songs are mostly the same, though some of them don't have lyrics yet ("Hovering" receives a great instrumental run through). Most of the tracks are just Miles and an acoustic guitar or two, but there are electric guitars and horns here and there all throughout the record. The track sequence is the same as the proper album, which was a good move being that the original tracklisting was so good to begin with. It's a great companion piece to the proper album but the real surprising thing is that it stand on its own as a great album, which really says a lot.
~Austin
HOW TO ACQUIRE THE ALBUM...
You can go to the official Beulah website and they have it there for around 15 dollars, shipping and handling included (it's an officially pressed CD that comes in a black and white cardboard sleeve cover and it sounds great for being recorded in Bill Swan's living room). Is that a deal or what?
Goodness knows it's been a wonderful run, so let's go back to the main reviews page.
