Beautiful Small Machines

The Deli – NYC - The Deli – NYC

Its been well over a decade now since I first fell in love with the witty musings of  Bree Sharp’s freshman album, 1999's The Cheap and Evil Girl. An excellent album by all accounts it is perhaps best and most historically defined by it’s run-away radio hit; an overt wanderlust lament to X-Files television star David Duchovny… Yes, that was twenty-something songstress Bree Sharp crooning about the emeritus attributes of David Duchovny for all the world to hear and sing-along with as made evident in the song’s perfectly simple and completely succesfull star-studded music video. 2002 then saw the release of Bree’s sophomore album, More B.S. which while not as commercially successful as it’s more pop-driven predecessor saw the further development and refinement of Sharpe’s uniquely tuned indie-pop lyrics and sound. Great albums easily enjoyable from start to finish produced by young musician on the rise it would sadly be another seven years before we would get our next studio release (though Bree did release numerous covers via her website and MySpace that featured her “acoustic living room” sets) from the lovely and inspired songstress from Philadelphia.
In that seven years since More B.S. was first released Sharp has not sat idly by instead both her and Don DiLego (whom also worked with Bree on her first album, 1999's Cheap and Evil Girl) have been working together to hone their craft and create a unique sound and style all their own, an effort that over the years transitioned from another Bree Sharp album into a collaborative Beautiful Small Machines album. 2009's EP Robots In Love, an album that debuts BSM’s new sound, something they’ve taken to referring to as sci-fidelity; a moniker all the more amusing given the albums lyrics, sound and focus. Less indie and more electropop this new album represents the continued development and progression of an artist, gone are some of the more overtly emotional undertones of Cheap and Evil Girl or More B.S. and in their place we find the topically satirical. Lyrics and inferences that as much poke fun at an increasingly technocratic world as embrace it, a sort of auditory counterpart to the life experiences of all us that have come of age in the era of the internet and social networks. The EP is nostalgic too, paying a certain homage to the 80's which in good fashion serves as the perfect foil the more modern sounds of other contemporary pop musicians.
Radio friendly, the title track “Robots In Love” accomplishes so much with such little effort that it clearly establishes where the sound of the duo is headed on future albums. On the surface at least, this song is a cute, catchy and simple but on subsequent re-listens the deeper nuances and implied meanings of the song begin to stand tall, establishing self-inferred meanings and themes that serve to really elevate the over-aching metaphor of the entire EP.  Tyler Huckabee perhaps said it best when reviewing the album in 2009, “It is, after all, a boy/girl electro-pop duo whose songs center on superconductors, mainframes, and – incessantly – robots. It’s got all the computer-y whirs, buzzes, and synths you’d expect from such a venture, the album cover is a heart made out of binary code, and one of the songs is titled “So Long 2 U” so that might be enough info right there for you to know whether or not you’d like these guys.”
Other stand-out tracks on the short album include Counting Back to 1, Super Conducter and So Long to U. Divergent tracks that while not as immediately catchy as Robots In Love, never the less further establish the wide range and accomplished sound of the talented electropop indie duo. Well worth your listen and a place in your musical collection, Beautiful Small Machines is a band you should keep an eye on.
- Down Shift Magazine

Plenty of people will fall in love with them. - Stereo Subversion

This band’s EP was literally so cute that if I’d tried not to share it, it’s quite possible Care Bears would have come to my front door and beaten me up with a rainbow. Mind you, cute isn’t usually that strong a motivator for me to post something. I don’t send mass emails with videos of puppies changing the channel on the TV, or pictures of babies wearing funny hats, or animated gifs of squirrels in a chorus line. I enjoy cute as much as the next guy – which is probably more than most guys will admit – but it’s easy to OD on it.

Beautiful Small Machines have a lot more than cute going for them, fortunately, so they’ll never end up in my spam folder. It’s a bit like Grandaddy, The Postal Service and The Ting Tings forming a super band. It’s all young love, heartbreak and robots, at times incredibly nerdy/silly (name checks go out to Aqua Teen Hunger Force and the SciFi channel) but always endearing. It’s undeniably defrosted this jaded blogger’s heart, that’s for sure.
BSM are a duo consisting of Bree Sharp on vocals and Don DiLego on production duties. The partnership has created some absolutely enchanting lo-fi sci-fi art-pop. Try to make sense of all those hyphens! The band make use of a variety of sounds & instruments beyond the typical bleeps and bloops of electropop, which certainly elevates it beyond your typical machinery-inspired outfits. They’ve managed to instantly win me over. Download 2 samplings from their debut Robot Love EP below, but be prepared for mushy feelings to ensue! - Battery in Your Leg

Until then…there is Valentines Day! You know the drill, either you are disgustingly happy or disgustingly sad. EIther way, get over yourself and your need to be validated by others and grab this head-bobber by Beautiful Small Machine. Upon first listen I was hooked by the sweet vocals and bouncy drums (and photos of the mega-hot singer Bree on their MySpace) but with further listens I discovered this to be the most poignant love song I’ve heard in a long time. Take a moment to really listen and I think you will find it describes a relationship around you (If not ALL of them around me). If you dont recogize who its about then its probably you. Happy Valentines Day! - The Burning Ear

Adding an electronic slant to rock or r&b music is nothing special these days, but now the trend has spread to another genre and the result is quite fantastic. Now forgive me if I'm forgetting something major, but have you ever heard a song before that could most aptly be described as electro-country? Whether you have or not, you're just about to! Robots in Love is half Taylor Swift, half Margaret Berger (well, who else could I compare a song about robot love to?). It's gloriously cute and happy, danceable and adorable. The band's other songs aren't quite so country-influenced, but they're just as brilliant. Beautiful Small Machines are undoubtedly one of my favourite discoveries of 2009 so far, and that means something because I've discovered some amazing new pop acts this year. Check out all of the songs on their MySpace, because there's not one track on there that I can't say I absolutely love! The band members, Bree and Donnie, seem like great fun people and you must look at the cute robot pictures in their Pics section on MySpace. This duo are definitely going to be giving my other favourite bands a run for their money this year. I can't wait til they get a whole album out! - Into The Groove

I had this one all figured out before I listened to it. The lust had diminished, life was same-ol same-ol, day in day out, love was there, but robotic. Well, that’s okay I figured – as long as the music is good. The back cover on the ep warned me I’d hate this. Beautiful people dressed in white doing their best to look sad or bored, but too dang picture perfect to ever pull it off. I was all set up to dismiss this as bunk, but I did my duty ad listened. My little promise to artists is that I’ll listen to everything that comes in here at least once.

Turns out I wasn’t wrong on the pop, but this is perfectly delightful pop. Summer time blues taking away get up and dance pop music – great fun. And I was way off on the lyric. “It’s a simple computation. You take easy conversation, add erotic exploration. But when he said ‘I love you, girl,’ shoulda come with a warning.” Internal rhymes with excellent rhythm – some great pop writing. But it gets personal and dark. Before the event, the guy says “I’ve got to go, go go, ‘cause it hurts to feel.” Ouch. Pretty deep for a pop song. The short but effective guitar solo is icing on this tasty bubblegum flavored cake. The narrator later says “I’ve got to go, go, go because I need to feel.” Several shoutouts here, Superconductor is a humorous 80’s flavored joyful bouncy dance-floor beat (“I’ve got the frequency to turn you on”), and So Long 2 U shows the versatility of the Beautiful Small Machines with a slow dance (“nothing I’ve seen ever taught me how to let things go”). Beautiful Small Machines

I guess I should mention that these folks are the same ones who had us giggling way back in the day to a song called David Duchovny, and the equally hilarious Guttermouth from the infamous album called Cheap and Evil Girl by Bree Sharp. That explains why the writing is so good here – her writing was just as precise when the X-Files were still on TV. - Eartaste

The perfectly titled EP should give you a hint about what to expect from this electronica duo. Until you hear it and then you are pleasantly surprised that it's not all club-thumping electronic music. There is actual heart and emotion in these songs. Beautiful Small Machines are in fact Bree Sharp and Don DiLego, longtime collaborators who just wanted to start something fresh and new.

A mix of pop hooks with an space-age rock feel. It sounds like, well, robots in love. And the title track is one of the best tracks to be heard. It starts off with a cool synth beat with Bree singing in a a matter-of-fact delivery about a boyfriend's lack of commitment. (When he said I love you girl it should have come with a warning) Guitars swoop in for the latter part of the song to deliver a change of pace.

So Long 2 U is an airy ode to saying goodbye. It is one of those rare songs that mix electronica with emotion. It really is the heart of the album. Bree has never sounded so crisp and melodic. Beautiful Small Machines though can drift a little too far into their experimental roots. - Digging For Days