April 30, 2010
The Beige "El Angel Exterminador" (Independent, 2010)
Something more colourful than beige perhaps!
Something more colourful than beige perhaps!
Canadians, The Beige have been drifting around the Vancouver scene for quite some time now, even though they haven’t been particularly prolific on record. ‘El Angel Exterminador’ was recorded between 2007 and 2009 and still only features nine tracks.
Musically the band take their influences from artists as diverse as Tom Waits, Van Morrison and Arcade Fire, (who still cast a huge shadow over all things Canadian). Song-writer Rick Maddocks favours keeping his songs low key, allowing them to smoulder rather than burn. His arrangements often feature ‘non-rock’ instrumentation, such as tuba, clarinet and viola.
Of the nine songs on offer here the best are probably ‘The Exterminating Angel’ (interestingly for its more conventional arrangement) and ‘Road’. However, the album functions well as a whole body of work due to the constant unifying ambience that runs through its duration.
‘El Angel Exterminador’ is an album for fans of folk based Americana, who are not afraid of the modern world. Although it doesn’t grab the listener by the throat, there is an undeniable charm attached to the experience of listening to this CD, and that can only be a positive for the band, and their future.
Reviewer: Dan Wilkinson
Reviewers Rating: 7 out of 10
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