Release Date: Jul 29, 2016
Genre(s): Pop/Rock
Record label: N/A
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Beaty Heart's sophomore full-length album, 2016's Till the Tomb, finds the British outfit shifting away from the bubbly Afro-pop influence of 2014's Mixed Blessings and embracing a new, hypnotically sophisticated sound. Working with producer Dave Eringa (who also helmed Mixed Blessings) and mixer David Wrench (FKA Twigs, Caribou), the trio of Josh Mitchell (vocals, guitars, electronics), Charlie Rotberg (drums, electronics), and James Moruzzi (drums, vocals, electronics) deliver a handful of catchy tracks that combine shimmering synths, organic percussion, jazzy horns, and just enough electronic flourishes to lend an otherworldly quality to the proceedings. Perhaps some of the aesthetic transformation comes from the fact that singer Mitchell relocated to Stockholm.
Some of the best British pop of 2016 bursts from this south London trio’s second set. Lustrous opener Flora demonstrates a new radio-ready confidence without fully junking their trademark weirdness, and the sinuous, serrated bass of Raw Gold is Metronomy spooning Hot Chip on Jungle’s bed – the best song Beaty Heart have ever written. Powerful with a warm intimacy, thanks to Josh Mitchell’s plaintive vocals, Till the Tomb strips back their excellent debut’s fussy tribal psychedelia and strafes each song with miniature addictive riffs and motifs instead.
Take a seat. Buckle yourself in. Hold on tight. You’re about to embark on a sugar rush trip. ‘Till The Tomb’, the second album from Peckham’s electro-poppers, Beaty Heart, fizzes more than a can of shaken lemonade. Having seemingly penned an intimate love letter to a current flame, the trio ….
Ladies and gents, let’s hear it for texture. An undervalued aspect of music-making, too often overlooked in favour of glossing songs with a widescreen, high-intensity sheen. South London trio Beaty Heart are keen students. Their second album is a dense puzzle that clicks unusual percussion together with the effect of inspired yet weird?sounding pop.
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