Beatenberg’s latest EP, On the way to Beatenberg, has been a long time coming. Four years in fact. Over this time they have relocated abroad, some having taken brief forays into solo work, toured with George Ezra, and have just been announced among the first batch of artists for SXSW 2023.
The EP is a fleeting representation of where they are now–penned in staggered stage over the last four years–and brings a fresh sound to the table to complement their quintessential style we know all too well.
Opener “Time Machine” serves to best exhibit this:an echoing, watery intro giving way to a subdued indie-electro sound which hinges on Matthew Field’s ever-poetic lyricism and off-kilter unpredictability. “White Shadow” ft. Msaki, which dropped alongside a music video earlier this year, pulls a little harder at their early sound as chiming acoustics wrap around an ode to pulling yourself out of a rut.
Unusual stripped complexities are rife in “The Lighthouse of Alexandria”, while “85” hinges its chorus on a translation of Catullus’s short poem of the same name, bringing nuanced cultural complexities into the mix. But then “Le Pain Quotidien” changes tack entirely, with a heady electronic backing rubbing shoulders with auto tuned vocals for an oddly immersive electro counterpart to their traditional sound.
Really what they’ve delivered here is a platter of familiar and unfamiliar nuances. An impressive return which not only appeals to the fans who have followed them for all these years but also reflects a growth in their sound which is as refreshing as it is welcome.
Feature pic supplied by artist
