Album Review: Beacon - The Ways We Separate

Beacon
The Ways We Separate
Rating: Woof Daddy

When I was growing up, the only way to hear music was over the radio, and radio stations were rigidly segmented in their own genres. You would rarely hear an R&B track on a Top 40 station and vice versa, and it was completely unheard of for a country song to appear anywhere but on a country station. In the Internet age, the ability in which to consume and absorb new music and genres is staggeringly easy, and it comes as no surprise that you get many new artists out there that combine different genres into one seamless whole. Brooklyn duo Beacon (Thomas Mullarney and Jacob Gossett) obviously benefit from this new found ease, as their first couple of EPs and now debut full length The Ways We Separate combine their love for future R&B, hip-hop, icy synthpop, UK bass music, and Warp-style IDM into a gorgeous mix of their own making. Thematically, The Ways We Separate explores how human beings separate themselves from each other, using a deliberately muted, minimal palate, that is not too far off from the debuts of acts like The xx and Purity Ring, which focus on a signature sound and walk around it like a sculpture, showing off different facets from different angles. The main complaints I have heard about this record is that it all seems one-note. While I understand that criticism, I think overall, it misses the point that the songs here are meant to flow together as a whole, and I appreciated the clean lines and surfaces that act as a foundation for the record.

The album contains 9 new tracks and one track off an early EP. "Feeling's Gone," one of my top tracks of 2012, maintains its elegant facade of quietly burbling electronics that give way to an insistent bass line that threads its way through the throbbing beat.



This template of hushed synths, skittering drum programming, and forlorn vocals works its magic throughout the tracks, settling the sound of the record into a suite of songs that benefits most from full on listen to the record. Aside from the pulsing "Feeling's Gone" there is no truly standout singles here. Instead, all of the tracks work together to create a measured experience. The tracks alternate from more beat driven tracks to more ambient, down tempo soundscapes. First track and single "Bring You Back" is a haunting first dip into these chilly waters. With its combination of icy keyboards and skittering drum programming, the track slowly builds as Mullarney's voice aches and cries with abandon, the line he sings "Don't turn around until the other side" becoming a mantra of haunting resignation.



The dense sonic textures of "Drive" provide an element of danger and darkness. Mullarney's voice barely a whisper as the programming gets more intricate along with the collage of throbbing electronic pulses.



These darker, edgier moments add much needed balance and tone throughout the record, whether it be the clipped, proto-two step track "Overseer" or the closing swoon of "Split In Two," there is a thoughtfulness to the record that indicates much care was labored over how the record would flow. And based on their earlier EPs, the bigger production values add endlessly to their sound. The songs on The Ways We Separate sound expansive and clean, with an excellent use of silence and space. The se come to fruition on the many languid ballads on the record. "Between The Waves" is a lush, dreamy bed of swirling keyboards, "Late November" is a gorgeous instrumental interlude, and the trio of esoteric tracks leading into the concluding track are a achingly beautiful triptych of icy synthpop. "Studio Audience" bounces and throbs over a thick bassline and rushing synths, "Headlights" is a buzzy, slow building track with Mullarney's voice struggling above a whisper, and the strikingly minimal "Anthem" elevates their sound to sublime levels.



The Ways We Separate lingers long in the mind, its intoxicating pulse and mood overtake the senses and leaves a lasting impression. It is a fully formed debut, with a distinct aesthetic that they hold fast too, making for a very cohesive listen. There is definitely room to grow from here and expand their sound without forsaking it. As for now, there is little to change with these tracks, as they inhabit their own world perfectly.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.