BEAK> – >>>
Geoff Barrow's third helping of BEAK>, >>> is yet another excellent record and one which will surely delight for quite some time
What started off as a curiosity side project for Geoff Barrow of Portishead, BEAK> has now emerged as a fully fledged band with its own cult following as they approach their third full-length, >>>. Since their inception they’ve always been an impressively consistent band, applying their unique spin to psychedelic krautrock, but at this stage, it’s hard to pin BEAK> down as anything other than themselves, and more power to them.
Their third mini-opus sees them navigate more dark corridors of the mind in a labyrinth of their own making. Recent single, Brean Down is a typically groovy affair from the Bristol-via-Berlin trio which has the equal ability to make you dance while simultaneously keeping you on your toes. Meanwhile, Harvester has a surprisingly melancholic feel akin to some of The Beatles' best use of orchestration (A Day In the Life).
Still, BEAK> prove they can master the psyche-rock when they so desire, with tracks like Allé Sauvage or RSI's space-aged freakout, to any discerning listeners who care for it. Elsewhere the strangely poppy King of the Castle is reminiscent of Oh Sees (perhaps an indication to their upcoming shows together) before finale When We Fall gives a post-apocalyptic folk song feel to reappropriate their pervasive dark energy. Ultimately, >>> is yet another excellent record from Barrow and co, one which will surely delight for quite some time post-release.
Listen to: Brean Down, Harvester, King of the Castle