Michael Beach

Michael Beach, for me, is this kind of miraculous discoveries in the middle of the night, by chance, while I was surfing on demand on the internet in search of a hidden gem, the kind of music that stops you net and captures your attention. I first came across this two titles coming out on 8 February on the Twin Lake Records label and the song, "the exhilarating rise": a kind of tube velvetien as hell, rough, nervous, enjoyable! Afterwards, I went to listen to his 2008 debut album, Blood races : a raw folk played on electric guitar, with just the instrument and singing was sometimes a bit like Elliott Smith. This time, the song "Pilgrim's plight" that got me hooked, and since I am at least my, pfffou, thirtieth listening, maybe more. What can I say? It's a beautiful song, the kind of piece for which we stop everything we were doing just to listen in silence, with the keen awareness that something is going really strong. Since then I have this refrain at all times in the head, " take me down to the river tonight ... . " In short, you will understand, a real nice discovery! - S.A.V. - France

Michael Beach, for me, is this kind of miraculous discoveries in the middle of the night, by chance, while I was surfing on demand on the internet in search of a hidden gem, the kind of music that stops you net and captures your attention. I first came across this two titles coming out on 8 February on the Twin Lake Records label and the song, "the exhilarating rise": a kind of tube velvetien as hell, rough, nervous, enjoyable! Afterwards, I went to listen to his 2008 debut album, Blood races : a raw folk played on electric guitar, with just the instrument and singing was sometimes a bit like Elliott Smith. This time, the song "Pilgrim's plight" that got me hooked, and since I am at least my, pfffou, thirtieth listening, maybe more. What can I say? It's a beautiful song, the kind of piece for which we stop everything we were doing just to listen in silence, with the keen awareness that something is going really strong. Since then I have this refrain at all times in the head, " take me down to the river tonight ... . " In short, you will understand, a real nice discovery! - S.A.V - France

It’s time to cover some music distributed in my own backyard: Connecticut. This new 7” comes from Australian singer-songwriter Michael Beach. He recently relocated to San Francisco. It’s been printed on Twin Lakes Recs, and I’d also like to mention that label has begun selling some limited-edition LPs with all proceeds going toward Japan.
Between the two tracks on this latest single, Beach covers a lot of emotional ground. The quiet breakdown he goes through on “A Horse” is a stark contrast from the rough and rudimentary “the Exhilarating Rise.” The guy has the power to evoke the sounds and styles of both Simon Joyner and Lou Reed, which I’m sure is no easy task.
Though he reminds me of those two artists, I wouldn’t say he drowns in their obvious influence. He’s got something good going. Dig: - The Needle Drop

ust go see Michael Beach if comes near you. He has released his first solo record since returning to California from Australia where he anchored the amazing psychedelic rock band, who performed one of the greatest shows I saw in the last decade. A Horse is brilliant, understated, yet powerful and emotive. I guess you could call it a "singer/songwriter" effort, but that'd be selling it short. Fans of the best of Elliot Smith, the best of Lou Reed, and Straight Ahead, the 1984 solo LP by Greg Sage of The Wipers, please have a listen to 'A Horse' here... - KDVS, Art For Spastics

First 7” from Electric Jellyfish’s Michael Beach since his 2008 LP Blood Courses and his re-re-location to San Francisco. The a-side is lethargic country rock with some fairly obvious debts to Neil Young, but it’s beautiful stuff, lonely and sparse. The b-side is also indebted to Neil Young but it’s a lot more frantic. You get the feeling that this format can't really contain Beach's material: his is a style that should soldier on earnestly, take prisoners, puncture hearts, entertain for a whole dreary, beery afternoon. - Mess + Noise

First 7” from Electric Jellyfish’s Michael Beach since his 2008 LP Blood Courses and his re-re-location to San Francisco. The a-side is lethargic country rock with some fairly obvious debts to Neil Young, but it’s beautiful stuff, lonely and sparse. The b-side is also indebted to Neil Young but it’s a lot more frantic. You get the feeling that this format can't really contain Beach's material: his is a style that should soldier on earnestly, take prisoners, puncture hearts, entertain for a whole dreary, beery afternoon. - Mess + Noise

Some albums take a while to be fully appreciated, especially if the music is as ambitious and demanding of the listener as Michael Beach’s solo debut Blood Courses. Released in September last year, the album has taken a backseat to Beach’s Electric Jellyfish commitments, with copies only furnished to the press to coincide with a residency at IDGAFF in Melbourne this month.
In contrast to Electric Jellyfish, this is an incredibly stark record. Over the sparsest backing of a single electric guitar or piano, the songwriter sings complex tales of darkness, loss and regret. Inevitably, some of these songs resonate with the trauma of losing two friends in a car accident on Electric Jellyfish’s first American tour in 2007. While death is a theme that reoccurs frequently, it is only the starting point for philosophical ruminations about the nature of life. As a result Blood Courses is a lot less morbid than one might expect.
What emerges is a picture of an extremely talented writer and musician, who knows how to build subdued moods with minimal instrumentation and possesses a versatile voice that adapts to the requirements of each song. Sometimes it feels like Beach is channeling the spirit of Jaques Brel or Scott Walker in his compositions. On other occasions the rawness of his delivery approaches that of Gareth Liddiard’s solo shows. The inclusion of a lyric booklet only enhances the experience of listening to this record.
Somehow these songs seem to exist outside the framework of popular music, their structures both classic and completely individual. As such, Blood Courses is an album that will hopefully be regarded as a fully realised work long after its contemporaries have faded from memory. It avoids the pitfalls of genre, fashion and commercial considerations so successfully, I’m tempted to call it timeless. - Mess + Noise