Published on Mar 8, 2002
While listening to the latest CD from the pop rock band Beulah,
I realize what they have done here is quite extraordinary and there
are three big reasons why I think
The Coast Is Never Clear is such a wonderful listen:
First, there’s the unique way that singer/songwriter Miles
Kurosky has with a lyric. It is easy to see what I mean by looking
at the track listing where you find songs with titles like “A Good
Man Is Easy To Kill”, “Popular Mechanics For Lovers”, and “Night Is
The Day Turned Inside Out”. The lyrics inside these songs are
likely to catch you off guard as well.
At first, the quirkiness of the material combined with Kurosky’s
slighty deadpan vocals seem kind of gimmicky, but repeated
listenings will reveal a melancholy in the songs, almost as if the
cleverness is masking a deeper hurt that the songwriter is trying
to hide but doesn’t quite succeed.
The second point are the melodies, which are strong, very
strong, without being obviously hooky. I would guess that the band
has listened to a lot of classic pop such as The Beatles, Burt
Bacharach, Big Star and Steely Dan. Points one and two make songs
like the standout “Gene Autry”, simultaneously the catchiest and
saddest songs I’ve heard in a long time.
The last ingredient is the impeccable arrangements of the songs.
Beulah is a seven piece outfit with the standard two guitars, bass
and drums, plus a percussionist, trumpet, and keyboards. The last
two make a big impression on Beulah’s sound. The Bacharach
influence is also in the arrangements which are tasty but
imaginative. Other musicians are included to add to the sound.
There’s extra horns, strings, a steel guitar, and a generous use of
backup vocals to create a lush but not slick sound.
But make no mistake, Beulah is essentially a rock band, and
guitars dominate the punk influenced “Silver Lining”. Also check
out the fuzz bass beginning of “Gravity’s Bringing Us Down”, and
the strange rhythm on the Squeeze-like “Cruel Minor Change”, and
you will see that there is more to the arrangements than just
lushness.
If you are looking for something different yet at the same time
comfortably familiar, then this is your album. I realize what I
just wrote sounds like a paradox, but that the only way I can
describe it. Beulah seems to hit all the right notes despite
bringing in different influences and somehow manage to make all the
pieces fit. To me, that makes
The Coast Is Never Clear a stunning accomplishment.