The Presets. Few have heard of them, yet they cease to amaze all new listeners. They cannot be confined to a single genre or style of music, but dabble in many aspects of rock and dance music. On this album, you will find techno/dance drum loops, filled with its signature hi-hat rise and fall. Electric snare beats are a prominent sound, and distorted, badass bass lines will fill your every orifice as you are pummelled by a cacophony of keyboard harmonies and an array of other electronic sounds. Vocals on this album are not of few, and are generally distorted. Drum recordings are done electronically, but live, the drums are played.
Now...on to the album itself.
We are kicked under way by the boardering on funky bassline of Steamworks, backed by an electronic harmony and a simple rock beat, with gasping and "Ooh"'s in the background, before another electronic riff comes to the fore. The song starts to build in tension around the 1:30 mark, with electronic strings in the background. The drums fade away after another minute or so, only to come pounding back in, to finish the opening track off with a fading keyboard note. No Vocals on this track.
The next track, Are You The One?, is the second single off the album, and it starts off with an incredibly catchy hard hitting bass line with a signature electronic drum beat. Quite fast singing in teh verse, with chanting of "Ooone, Are you the? Ooone, are you the?" This track is absolutely fanstastic, the best on the album, and the catchiest. No surprises with the single choice.
This is, I now say, not a track by track, but I thought I'd start off by reviewing the first two tracks in more detail to give the reader an idea of the album.
This does not mean however, that it is a downhill ride from here on. Oh no. Other potential rave and dance hits are evident in such tracks as 'Down Down Down', with its peltin tambourine and distorted bass line driving it forward. Or perhaps one would rather the more Drum and Bass sounds of 'Worms', with its distorted guitar sounding riff during the verse taking the place of vocals.
'Girl (You Chew My Mind Up)' is much faster paced with ultra fast keyboard sounds accompanied by a battering bass drum, and shoutig mildly distorted vocals. Or perhaps a vast change in styles, to the potential rave classic, aptly titled 'I Go Hard, I Go Home'. Fast paced, almost latin sounding drum beats get us under way, before being followed up by typical rave drumming, and high, broken up electronic vocals.
The last two songs on the album are for an even more drastic change of scenery. 'Bad Up Your Betterness' is much more indie sounding, with a half-assed techno sounding drum beat, and quietened vocals. Quite atmospheric sounding around the middle with the introduction of electronic strings.
And finally, the title track, 'Beams'. Very different once again, much quieter al the way through, a nice way to calm down at the end of a 51 minute, thrilling ride through the many lands of dance and techno. More electronic strings back up the simple guitar chord prgression and mellow drum beat. The album finishes with the drum beat, and then nothing.
By this time, your senses will have readjusted, and you will be able to walk away form your cd player/computer/club with a feeling of satisfaction after listening to an album well made. Watch out for The Presets, theyll be upping a club near you soon!!
Be kind, first review...
Shaun.
