Beauts have been working on something. Or maybe working through something. Their latest single is the two-parter follow-up on the low-key mania of their last release, “The City Loves Me.” Where the previous track questioned the merits and sacrifices of complex organic beings imposing the structure society of city life upon ourselves, “Good Measure” attempts to come to grips with the dehumanizing effects of modern living and the disconnect that can form between family, friends, and communities.
Taken from Beaut’s upcoming full-length debut album, set to be released in 2020 on LHR Records, “Good Measure” has the band gently sliding through a poppy wall of sound with a modern psychedelic fuzz. It nods to contemporary influences like The National and new wave legends like The Cure for a big cozy sound with sharp edges.
Which makes a lot sense, given that the band are asking that you hit them with your car “to see if it resonates.” Beauts vocalist Jeff Lawton goes on to sing, “I could do this in my sleep, and I probably will.” It sounds like the band have grown detached from anything that doesn’t attack them on the scale of a Michael Bay film. Conversely, their attention seems to have shifted to working out the finer details.
“We’ve sort of been increasingly mellowing out as a band, and this song is evidence of that. Instead of trying to hit people over the head with an intense anthem, we’ve been paying more attention to nuance, especially with the dynamics of a song,” says Lawton. But we also wanted it to still move fairly briskly, and we’ve been paying more attention to synths and hooks, and how they can be used more subtly.”
If a little fixation helps Beauts hone their craft it sure doesn’t seem to be hurting them.
Tour Dates:
10.24.19 – Halifax, NS @ Halifax Pop Explosion
11.08.19 – Truro, NS @ Nova Scotia Music Week
*with Japanese Breakfast