Experts in Their Fields Beths Quicksand

Quicksand – Giving The Past Away – Epitaph Records

I’ll keep this short as possible. This is due to the fact that I am huge fan of Quicksand / Walter (singer and songwriter of this band). Therefore its my opinion I have bias and can easily ramble on for too long. This track is great. Here are some reasons why.

Walter’s vocal melodies are in top form.

The verse and chorus melodies live separate but in harmony. Kind of like sharing walls of an apartment but having a passageway that leads between the two spaces.

Yes, I mean this earnestly. The guitars sound like Distant Populations era meet the Rev Quicksand 7″ from 1990. When the open chords temporarily rings, it sounds a bit like Tom Capone’s tones. Check out the breakdown of the song Head To Wall and you may hear what I mean. It’s is still modern Quicksand guitar tone too and it seems Walter’s and Stephen Brodsky’s sounds merge and play very well. That is if Brodsky is playing on this, I am not certain. I hear this may be a track left over from Distant Populations.(Hoping for a new LP , with Stephen)

The bass and drums? AKA Sergio Vega and Alan Cage. Impeccable as per usual. Vega’s bass giving a subtle growl. The snare hits, classic Alan Cage tone. Snappy, lots of attack, not as much decay. Although the beat is somewhat basic, I’d love Alan’s drumming at all levels of simplicity and/ or technicality. He always gives the song what it needs. I am certain there will another track in which he’ll pull off some sick rolls mixed with a fill I could never pull off. I’ll have to wait for now.

The riffs are tuned down and big enough to take over the room. In the background you get some of that da da da dada 90’s guitar rhythm that many have heard in Sunny Day Real estate and former Quicksand songs. This is not something I favor but it works well in this track so it gets a pass. Overall, a powerful single that hopefully will lead to an EP or LP release.

The Beths – Expert In A Dying Field – Carpark Records

So far the Beths have three out of twelve out as I write this. However the LP is releasing any day or will be out by the time you’re not reading this. First let’s back up. The Beths can teach a master class in modern jangle guitar rock. I’m somewhat familiar with the previous LP “Jump Rope Gazers” Check out a guest review of it here https://meatsheetfanzine.com/the-beths-jump-rope-gazers-carpark-records/

So fast forward to now. Title track and first single is Expert In a Dying Field. Warm fuzzed out intro. The vocals are inquisitive and adventurous. The track kicks off into a pop groove, The band harmonizes their vocals. The overall melodies are more intricately arranged than the previous songs I am used to however very tuneful and approachable. Culminating in a vocal and guitar crescendo this song hits paydirt at about 3:25. This track is very good, but the other two are just as good if not better.

Knees Deep is a crisp pop number with a fluid electronic undercurrent.

This track is just as well written as the Top 40 pop schlock that the big record labels hope to turn out. The difference (I’d like to think) being the Beths write and perform their stuff. They seem to be in it for the love of music, rather than being held by focus groups, contacts, and expectations of social media. Yes, I am hoping that is the case, if it isn’t, then I am misguided.

Silence Is Golden is more driving and hard edged yet still in indie jangle pop neighborhood. Guitars chug and even offer a raw and squealing solo.The tone is just slightly fuzzy. Definitely an exciting direction. Consider this, most people find writing a strongly catchy pop tune a challenge. If you add the edginess and tension that The Beths do on Silence Is Golden, even more challenging. That is to say, not always easy to pull off without sounding derivative. The Beths maintain the freshness of their sound. The intensity turned up a notch. I await the entire LP

Mess Esque – Liminal Space – Drag City Records

This song is full of WTF moments. I don’t mean that in the bad way. More so in a way that my ears and brain try to decipher what is going on. You can listen here. https://messesque.bandcamp.com/album/liminal-space?from=fanpub_fb

Therefore it score points for originality. If I could coherently describe the rhythm contained within I would. Instead I may come off sounding a bit off. The beats in general are mismatched.

Again not bad per se. It is more about juxtaposition of beats , vocals , guitars. Speaking of guitars, the guitar seems to recede or become a background. The forefront are the vocals. Percussion middle ground.

Liminal Space opens with cuts and chops of guitar? Nearly spoken word vocals. On the contrary this shifts quickly to a more open singing which in turn the vocals emote and intensify. The chop of the guitar rhythm smoothes into strums and picked notes. This song definitely achieves its title by what it does. you start in one area, get carried into a new sonic space. The threshold seems to be ushering in by the changing vocals, disjointed drums, and melodious guitar. Interesting enough though, it ends somewhat like it begins. So it begs the question.

Does the listener go over the threshold and back to return to the starting point? I guess this is over analytical thought.

Liminal Space , is if nothing else, an inventive and creative song. For more about Mess Esque go to the band camp above or here and scroll to the end https://meatsheetfanzine.com/enjoy-new-descendents-music/

As always thank you for reading. As the heat dissipates i’m eagerly awaiting autumn’s weather and new music. However I won’t be caught dead or alive with pumpkin spice anything.