Hyde & Beast – Slow Down
Review by Jack Foley
BY THEIR own admission, Hyde & Beast – two drummers from the North East – made this record by accident. And what a happy accident it turns out to be!
Comprised of Dave Hyde from The Futureheads and Neil Bassett, formerly of The Golden Virgins, Hyde & Beast decided to indulge their passion for singing (in Hyde’s case), writing, producing and mixing and so hooked up at Beast’s Sunderland studio and recorded at a rate of one song per day.
The result is a sprawling, gentle psychedelic meander that harks back to a more experimental approach to song-writing and which recalls the sonic adventurism of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s with nods to Captain Beefheart, Velvet Underground and T-Rex.
For my money, it also contains contemporary nods, too, with the likes of Beta Band.
The album flies off from a similar place with the gloriously laidback lead single Never Come Back, which smartly combines bouncing piano chords with a tambourine shuffle and vocals that sound like they’re auditioning for The Beta Band with nods to Captain Beefheart and The Velvet Underground thrown in.
It’s a great record for just kicking back on a hot summer’s day and allowing to unfold in its chilled out fashion.
That laidback vibe is even more so on If You Could Buy Me Anything, which layers the vocals, interweaves a great guitar riff, and throws in some thought-provoking lyrics.
But while that may be too horizontal for some – and admittedly some of the more experimental urges do require patience – there are enough great songs littered throughout to really make this a worthwhile listen overall.
All Because of You is a great listen, dripping in classic psychedelic values but delivered in accessible and almost popular form, while the breezy guitar licks and almost country vibe that accompanies You Will Be Lonely is a genuine delight, even if the vocals sound like Mickey Mouse on speed at times!
Trees Are Falling is a bittersweet beauty that combines piano chords and riffs to great effect (and is a firm favourite), while the laidback ‘ooh ah ooh-hoo, woo hoo” opening of (And The) Pictures In The Sky) sets you into an instantly good mood for another favourite – and one that really drops a T-Rex vibe.
The old-school blues rock vibe of the instrumental Wolfman Blues is also cracking stuff, and genuinely feels like it could have originated from America’s Deep South.
Indeed, for an album that started out as an accident and personal pleasure, this is highly assured and surprisingly eclectic stuff that ought to put Hyde & Beast firmly on the musical map as an act with a very bright future ahead of them.
Download picks: Never Come Back, Trees Are Falling, (And the) Pictures In The Sky, Lord, Send For Me, You Will Be Lonely
Track listing: