Album Review: Beach Slang – The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us
2 min read
The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us is about as short and sweet as albums come. At ten tracks long and not even a half hour in length, it’s relying heavily on near snippet-sized tracks to tell its story and capture your attention. In truth, that’s really all they need; their style is one that simply works, attracting your attention and keeping it with little effort, over almost as soon as it started but perfectly ready and willing to stick in your head long after it’s done.
Beach Slang have the noisy punk vibe down to an art, with blaring drums and thumping guitars drowning nearly everything else out of the mix, forcing all focus onto them; luckily, the riffs are the album’s strongest point, and when everything finally drops low enough to hear the vocals they fit the mix perfectly; it might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but if the noisy punk style at all appeals to your sensibilities then it’s a sure hit.
The immediate blare of Throwaways sets up most of the album, with its instant drums and guitars commanding your immediate attention. It’s a literal onslaught of noise, pierced only by the prominent guitar riffs that play at varying times and a few dips in the noise, but it’s a solid foundation that works well; Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas follows it up with more of a focus on melodic guitars, similar yet also noticeably varied thanks to its different use of elements. Too Late To Die Young is the odd one out, going for acoustic guitar and strings rather than the full punk rock ensemble. It’s one of a few quiet moments on the album, but also the most radical of them all; a pretty respite from the ravaging tracks around them.
The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Is truly wears its short length well. While it leaves you feeling undoubtedly drained after a first listen, it’s well and truly worth revisiting later to truly enjoy all the detail and energy that went into the album. It bears repeating: This album probably isn’t for everyone. But if you’re willing to give it a try, you’ll find a well-crafted album perfectly worth your time. It’s ridiculously powerful.