Album Review: Beacon - Escapements
By Nick Dighero, Contributor
[Ghostly International; 2016]
Rating: 3.5/5
Key Tracks: "IM U," "Cure," "Escapements"
Beacon is a Brooklyn electronic music duo with a couple of pretty interesting records under their belts. Escapements, though, is the most captivating one they’ve released so far. It is melodic, smooth, glitzy, haunting, and leaves the listener in a state of mind that calls for reflection.
The record opens up with “IM U,” a song that starts off with some winding bass and some vocals that are close to whispers, and it couldn’t sound any cooler. A synth tone then joins the mix that is very similar to the sound of a marimba, which perfectly takes away from the haziness but doesn’t feel misplaced. Group vocals, or whispers, then come in to finish the song and leave a feeling of emptiness, but in the best way possible.
The album has an overall mood to it, but each individual song has its own, small personality. The song “Cure” has the same smooth, whispery vocals but a little bit more of an intense drum track that’s glitchy and fast, similar to ones Baths would use, and more aggressive synthesizer tones. It still fits the mood but has enough characteristics to keep dullness out of the picture.
“You’re Wondering” has a similar mood, but has its differences as well. Starting off with a low organ-like tone and using a buzzy synth bass, it brings a very refreshing mix of instrumentals to the table.
However, there are times where Escapements is possibly a little too hazy. There are times when falling asleep seems like a good idea instead of listening to more of the record. The constant changing of pace in parts of songs can also be a little bit of a drag. Nonetheless, Escapements is a very satisfying record that is pleasing to the ears.
