Review / 200 Words Or Less
Beep Beep
Enchanted Islands

Saddle Creek (2009) Graham Isador

Beep Beep – Enchanted Islands cover artwork
Beep Beep – Enchanted Islands — Saddle Creek, 2009

Taking a five year hiatus between albums, Beep Beep released Enchanted Islands, the follow up to 2004's Business Casual, earlier this year. Given the current pace of the music industry, and a slight change from the original lineup, Enchanted Island has a feel closer to a debut album rather than a sophomore effort. The band freely plays with esoteric tempos, and rhythms, making something that's not quite indie, while hinting at elements of jazz and noise, to the hauntingly melodic drone of the vocals. Often Beep Beep suffer from their talent and musicianship; many songs on Enchanted Island allow the listener just enough time to get comfortable with one theme before being taken in a different direction. When they take the time to focus, however, the band manages a handful of sophisticated and incredibly well written songs: case and point being Enchanted Islands' fourth track "Return to Me." If it isn't another five years before Beep Beep releases another record the band is sure to catch on amongst the collage radio crowd.

Beep Beep – Enchanted Islands cover artwork
Beep Beep – Enchanted Islands — Saddle Creek, 2009

Related news

Beep Beep U.S. Tourdates

Posted in Tours on March 6, 2009

Recently-posted album reviews

Steamachine

City of Death
Records Workshop (2023)

City Of Death is the third album from Polish noise makers Steamachine. Having dabbled in a few metal styles over their career, City Of Death has a heavy carnival influence to it which I have to say I really like. It's interesting just how much more sinister things sound when you pump eerie, jingly circus sounds amongst very dark, heavy, … Read more

Faulty Cognitions

Somehow, We Are Here
Cercle Social Records (2024)

The opening track on Somehow, We Are Here is a statement. Yes, Faulty Cognitions is a punk band with members of Low Culture, Shang-A-Lang, Nocturnal Prose,and more. Yes, this shares a lot of commonalities, but it’s also a new band with a new sound. The band humbly says they were going for an early, jangly R.E.M. vibe but self-confess that it has more of a Replacements thing going on … Read more

Lussuria

Under Crumbled Stairs
Hospital Productions (2024)

Jim Mroz is no stranger to the darkest dungeons of the human mind. These locked doors of the psyche are a common destination for his project Lussuria, through which Mroz has quietly amassed an impeccable discography. And so another immersive chapter of harrowing music sprouts forth with Under Crumbled Stairs, with Lussuria extending their phantom limbs to touch upon numerous sonic … Read more