Beach – ‘Donuts’ – Review

Dublin psych pop outfit Beach have made quite a few waves (no pun intended) for themselves as of late. The end of 2015 saw them play a highly prolific gig in The Grand Social in support of their last single, ‘Arabia’, and now their latest offering, ‘Donuts’ has landed. With bars set impossibly high already, does it hold up with their stunning live shows and previous offerings?

‘Donuts’ sees the band venture further down the noise rock road, with very little of the soft and gentle psychedelic feel to be found. Instead of being enveloped blissfully and serenely in a wall of comforting noise, we’re now being assaulted from all the senses. It’s rather uncomfortable, but there’s something quite attractive about it that makes you come back again and again. The vibe is definitely similar to the likes of Girl Band here as opposed to classic psychedelic pop.

Singer Dave Barrett’s raspy vocal shines here, and evolves from a sleepy grunt to an explosive and lively performance in the coda. The jerky and staccato feel of the guitars adds to the general uneasiness in the tune, and at the very least makes sure to hold your attention. The structure established by the formidable rhythm section is the most solid thing to be found, always excusing the madness of the rest of the band with an unshakeable groove. It acts as the glue for the rest of the instruments to go nuts and not sound like pointless noise. Context is everything in this type of music.

Beach have undoubtedly surprised us with this new offering. While quite different and a bit weird, it has a strangely alluring and attractive pull to it. The swirly dreaminess they do so well is missed somewhat, but give ‘Donuts’ a chance to suck you in, you won’t be disappointed.

Listen to it here: