{"product_id":"beak","title":"BEAK\u003e","description":"Recording information: 01\/05\/2009-01\/17\/2009.\u003cbr\u003eConsidering how meticulously crafted Portishead's albums are, it's no wonder that Geoff Barrow went in a less studied and, above all, faster direction with his other group, BEAK\u0026gt;. Together with bassist Billy Fuller from Fuzz Against Fuzz and keyboardist Matt Willams from Team Brick (both bands signed to Barrow's Invada label), Barrow recorded BEAK\u0026gt;'s self-titled debut in just a dozen days, recording all of their parts in the same room and eschewing overdubs -- an approach that's almost the polar opposite of Barrow's day job. On BEAK\u0026gt;, the trio jettisons Portishead's time-consuming detail for hypnotic simplicity; the only thing Barrow's groups share is a deeply moody atmosphere. These excursions are so dark and spare that they feel oddly timeless, as though they could just as easily come from some dust-covered, decades-lost cult album as from the 2000s. Krautrock is a major influence, and the band really knows its way around a Motorik groove, especially on \"Backwell,\" which opens the album with a slow-building jam that dips in and out of minor-key territory. Throughout the album, Fuller's bass dominates, and the way Barrow and Williams play off of him shows that BEAK\u0026gt; knew what they were doing with their self-imposed limits. Yet BEAK\u0026gt; rarely feels limited in scope, especially when the band flirts with jazz on \"The Cornubia\" or lends \"Battery Point\" some post-rock grandeur with shimmering guitars. But for every moment that nods to accessibility, like these tracks and \"I Know,\" which boasts tight drum and bass topped by a strangely vulnerable melody, there are two that underscore the band's experimental tendencies.\"Ham Green\" moves from ghostly, slo-mo surf that recalls Clinic's early singles to a doomy onslaught from seemingly out of nowhere, while \"Barrow Gurney\"'s blaring electronics prove that the band doesn't shy away from being abrasive. Though the project's swift genesis reveals itself in a few tracks that feel like recorded jam sessions, at their best BEAK\u0026gt; are fascinatingly dour, and willing to challenge listeners in unexpected ways. ~ Heather Phares","brand":"MovieMars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47606666199327,"sku":"689230011828","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0679\/7833\/0399\/files\/ef33b8f3dda15b056f61963e3dd7902e.jpg?v=1777797977","url":"https:\/\/www.moviemars.com\/products\/beak","provider":"MovieMars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}