The Beat Surrender

If any of you were with us at the time of the first couple of versions of site design, you may remember me banging onto you about a band who’d released a clutch of quality singles and an album to match them.

The band were called The Open and pleasingly (well at least for me anyway!) they are back with the second long player. Rather than going down a similar route to the first album with classic three and a half minute indie rock influenced by the likes of The Verve (early) and The Stone Roses, they have chosen a very different set of influences.

This time out its Miles Davis, Talk Talk, The Cocteau Twins and Serge Gainsbourg who seem to have influenced the groups sound and song structure. shorter songs are in the rarity this time, epic sweeping tracks that you on a journey are the order of the day with many of them over five or six minutes long.

Where as a lot of albums close with an epic track, Statues opens with one. Forever is a sprawling seven minute moody track that takes in smoky atmospheric jazz along the way. That really sets the tone, We Can Never Say Goodbye is probably the nearest you get to an old style Open track with it’s rockier feel and booming chorus.

Two Lovers In The Rain again has a soaring jazz feel to it, the title track is more stripped and basic, while my favourite has got to be My House. A bombastic opening gives way to psychedelic swirling percussion and guitar, before twisted vocals come in over discordant guitars. If that isn’t enough it then closes with gentle piano riffs.

The album continues in that vein throughout, little surprises here and there, but mainly a very big feel to everything. The bravery in following up The Silent Hours with a very ambitious record seems to have paid off for them.

Statues is out now on CD and Vinyl.