Beat Radio - The Great Big Sea
Singer-songwriter Brian Sendrowitz released the gorgeous The Great Big Sea under the title artist name Beat Radio on October 1st, 2006. While many pop artists have masked their bland pop-structured pieces with folk (I’m looking at you, Swift), very few capture the essence of folk within their work. Very often, it can sound dishonest. Where Beat Radio differentiates itself from the canon of pop-folk, however, is in its production. Suffice to say, the instrumentation comes first. As a result, the album soars.
The vocals sit somewhere between Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade and Pavement. The country-rock vibe is ever-so-sweet throughout Elegy. What makes the song impressive is not its aesthetic, though, but rather its impressive inclusion of acoustics are varying intervals, such as the immaculate accompanying keys that drift in and out. The same vibe returns on the toe-tapping Mexico, where Sendrowitz demonstrates he’s just as capable of creating a rockin’ track as he is capable of producing a sincere eulogy. Everything is Temporary rocks a simple melody, though its delivery is what makes it stand out. Both the lyrics and the vocals are matched impeccably by vibrant acoustics and fulfilling stereo-utilisation. The explosive finale, The Places That I've Been, is unexpected and perfectly fitting. The amalgamation of guitars harken back to the explosive finales of Built to Spill’s 90’s catalogue. It’s a shame, unlike Built to Spill, that none of the tracks on The Great Big Sea are expanded upon. Thankfully, there’s enough variety and progression within the track listing to forgive it.
Despite being a pop record in disguise, the instruments are truly the highlight. If only there were more instrumental tracks such as identical with his breath, or the instrumental outro of Another Loveless Anthem. Regardless, The Great Big Sea features a beautiful use of space, and a warm, encapsulating ambience. Furthermore, it has very good replay value. It’s sincere, finely executed and a suitable length. Such quality is missing from modern underground music. If only more albums were executed with such precision.
Really Good
Listen to it here:
Beat Radio - The Great Big Sea
