|
|
| |
|
|
BUSINESS CASUAL
(Saddle Creek)
|
|
|
|
|
|
One of the two new Bright Eyes CDs represents the earnest folky side of indie rock; the other pairs Conor Oberst with Saddle Creek’s the Faint for an electro-punk workout. Still, with Cursive and Azure Ray positioning themselves as Saddle Creek’s other marquee bands, there’s been more folk than new wave coming out of Omaha for the past few years. As their name hints, Beep Beep push the balance in the direction of the Faint with the inflamed, electro-tinged weirdness of Business Casual, their first for the label. Echoes of the Rapture and Hot Hot Heat give the disc a hard, driving urgency that holds up throughout. "My id is fucking screaming" expresses the frenzy of lust on "Oh No!"; "Misuse Their Bodies," with its soulful organ, is tough and elegiac; "Giggle Giggle," with its references to peeping toms and teenage girls, finds singer-songwriter Chris Hughes’s wild hyena vocals dissolving into moans. Beep Beep are more ironic instigators than true perverts — "Electronic Wolves" is a politicized sex-industry rant on which Eric Bemberger’s brooding guitar flashes over Mike Sweeney’s low-rolling percussion and Katie Muth’s subtle bass. The results are edgy and playful as Hughes finds entertaining ways to explore the freedom of bondage. (Beep Beep perform Sunday March 6 at T.T. the Bear’s Place, 10 Brookline Street in Central Square; call 617-492-BEAR.)
|
