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North London four piece Beau and The Arrows modern post punk sound has been compared to the atmospherics of The xx or the more down tempo boy/girl vocal interplay of some Los Campesinos! material or the gaze pop of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart but whilst their fledgling efforts show the restraint of the former, and the craft of the latter two. There’s also a hint of 80s about their uncluttered reverb heavy instrumentation and introspective melodies maybe its a touch of the Cure or Siouxie? Still comparisons as always a little clunky as there’s is a genuine attempt to strip away the kind of over- production that dogs many major releases, these are skeletal songs with beating hearts. This allows space for each instrument to breath and speak, Beau and the Arrow’s sparse, delicate, post-punk dynamics are given throbbing humanity by the hushed, intertwined vox of messers Jasmin Foley and Beau Carter and the brushing instrumentation (synth, delicate guitar shapes, and throbbing rhythms) of each member of the collective.
Starting as a solo project by singer and songwriter Beau Carter, from Woolwich, North London, the band began to forge its unique sound after recruiting Jasmin Foley, whose delicate vocals lift the minimal, yet dreamily cinematic soundscapes are perfectly complement Beau’s own vocals. Inspired by composer Thomas Newman and the solitary film works of director Alan Clarke, Beau Carter describes the band’s sound as: “A collective of diverse ideas coming together and forming through the medium of music.
For a taster of the group’s undoubted talent sample the DIY sound of their debut single ‘Fix’ that vividly depicts the craving and naive feelings associated with new love, its unrequited refrain of ‘I want you’ is constantly involving, it’s an expansive yet utterly personal anthem. Neatly sidestepping the kind of buzz bandwagonism of production or genre, there’s a refreshing honesty and genuine humanity about Beau and the Arrows sound.
“We are all from a part of London that’s surrounded by building blocks and burnt out cars. It is what it is, there’s no hiding from that and our music is just a reflection of who we are and what we’ve become living in those surroundings. Taking good from bad, the music and the lyrics are a combination of raw, edgy, images and sounds seen through the eyes of our naive souls”.
There’s a subtle melancholia that lingers in the background throughout too like those nagging thoughts from your past that won’t go away, witness Fix’s bside ‘Calming Effects’ an echoey wistful look over the shoulder, as the realisation that ‘it’s over kicks in’ and leaves you with a slightly more accepting place. While upcoming Bside ‘One Last Summer’ is the sound of falling into your bed after a heat soaked night in a club. Look out for Beau and the Arrow’s second single ‘0.7.9.3’ then the band will release their forthcoming album ‘Future Kicks’ in August.
– Calming Effects by beauandthearrows
www.myspace.com/beauandthearrowsofficial / www.facebook.com/beauandthearrows www.soundcloud.com/beauandthearrows
