Beta Radio – Waiting For The End To Come
This is a North Carolina duo & their new effort is a 6th release. Recorded in Nashville, it’s considered a new era for their musical direction. To others, it’s still basically the genre they’ve always performed within. A little more polished, remotely more original, fairly harder at pushing the boundaries – yes. The duo enjoys what they’re doing & they’re smart enough to understand the dangers of getting stale, repetitious & getting old in their approach.
10 occupants are Waiting For The End To Come (Drops July 19/Nettwerk) but the album isn’t a dark journey or a downer. It’s a well-recorded set of music with some interesting subjects. Nothing appears trendy, cliché-oriented though vocally there’s somewhat of a Dave Matthews/David Gray sophistication.
It’s not emulating, it’s just set in motion in the same tradition with a more folky touch & the arrangements sparkle in songs (“Find Someone”) that are relatively simple. After all, this isn’t progressive rock. I would take it one step further by adding that they have their own Blue Nile factor in the facility of their melodies. And that’s rich if you can pull that off.
Many songs are set in the mold of balladry, with some swipes at Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young with tunes like “Halfway In a Dream” constructed solidly with vocal veracity. A song like this confirms the change in gears since many artists today don’t perform with this kind of folky spiritual conciseness with a full sound. And Beta Radio isn’t a 10-piece ensemble.
The duo has its fluency & while they don’t rock out like The Traveling Wilbury’s they take an ordinary medium & add many perfectly suited elements. They may paint in watercolors but there are strokes in oil in unexpected places.
There’s also a delicacy to their arrangements. If you listen closely an intricacy in their playing on songs such as “The Grief Of” becomes evident. The instruments seem to chime & the warm vocals in contrast frame everything with meticulous flourishes.
The music isn’t foot stomping but does find its way into the mind with a pleasantly lethargic relaxing feel. The duality of the voices on “This One’s Going To Hurt,” works well. It makes the melody drift off into a soul-satisfying groove. Here there’s a Lowen & Navarro feel to the vocal rather than CSN&Y. Effective, to say the least.
The majority of the tunes are worth a listen since the duo has their act together tightly.
They present their melodies in a fine mix of harmonies, subtle & sublime melodies & despite that come to the surface with bracingly smart music. It’s about time.
Highlights – “Find Someone,” “Halfway In a Dream,” “The Grief Of” & “This One’s Going To Hurt.”
Musicians – Ben Mabry (vocals/guitar/glockenspiel/harmonium/piano/arrangements) & Brent Holloman (guitar/banjo/vocals/bass/piano/arrangements).
Color image courtesy of Beta Radio’s website. CD @ https://betaradio.com/
