‘Donuts’ by Beach (Single)

Beach: ‘far away’ is exactly what they are…

Strap on your trout mask, because this Dublin quintet are out to prove that there’s no sense in songwriting convention

On their brand new single Donuts, Dublin-based quintet Beach ply a brand of art-rock that refuses to be pigeonholed, or even be so glib as to follow a basic song structure. Still reading? Then your curiosity will be rewarded.

Donuts is near 30 seconds in before anything approaching a song morphs into existence. Those opening moments are filled with a warped, spoken word sample and singer Dave Barrett lazily offering, “I don’t think I’ll ever find the way back, no catching me from far away.” And ‘far away’ is exactly what they are – far away from anything you’ll have heard this side of the Butthole Surfers.

Though perhaps slightly less avant-garde than Gibby Haynes’ Texan experimentalists, it’s no surprise that the inspiration for the song is from a “fucked-up out-of-body experience” that Barrett had, such is the unsettling sense of disorientation you feel throughout the song’s three-and-a-half minutes. By its close you’ll either be reaching for the arm of your chair and a stiff drink, or turning off the lights, hitting repeat and letting these sonic noise demons run joyous riot in your mind.

If you’re one that’s strictly for convention, then Donuts will be as welcome as taking a bite from your cheese sandwich and finding a horde of maggots. If, though, you believe rock only started to get interesting with Captain Beefheart, then you’ll find Beach to be as delectable as chocolate milk.

Verdict: Art-rock that can’t even picture the box, let alone think inside it

Damien Girling

https://soundcloud.com/beachbandofficial/donuts

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