BrightEyed56
09/11/07, 04:13 PM
Beulah – Yoko
Record Label: Velocette Records
Release Date: September 9, 2003
“A good band is easy to kill.” So aptly is titled Beulah's tour DVD, which was released two years after the band's final album, Yoko. As many music fans know, it's all too often the good bands that die young. And as slightly arrogant as the DVD's tagline is, proclaiming Beulah to be "the best band you never heard," they just may have been right. In 2004 the band broke up, reportedly because Yoko failed to achieve gold status. The fact that four of Beulah's members split with their respective wives or girlfriends in the same year also likely put a strain on the band. Perhaps the fact that their final album shares its name with another notorious band wife wasn't a coincidence?
While the meat-and-potatoes of Yoko is meandering, sometimes moody pop, that's not to say the band doesn't incorporate other styles into the songs. A few of the tracks have a decided country twang to them, especially on "Me and Jesus Don't Talk Anymore." The distorted vocals on “Your Mother Loves You Son” give the song a low-fi, rawer sound. Guitars also show up on this track more than any other, making it the edgiest song of the album. On "Wipe Those Prints and Run", there's a trumpet part in the chorus that brings to mind the smoky speakeasies of the 20's. Miles Kurosky's lead vocals are the perfect accompaniment to Yoko's moody pop. Soft and expressive, his voice doesn't immediately pop, but this is just because it fits in so well with the music. The entire album has a slightly lazy energy, making it perfect to throw on during a slow Sunday afternoon.
Getting past the cheerful melodies and digging into the lyrics reveals Yoko to be a much darker album than it appears at first listen. On "Your Mother Loves You Son", Kurosky laments, "It's so hard not to be crushed / When you're praying for too much / And the stars refuse to shine for you." "Hovering" finds him wondering, "Why won't you write? / Write me a word to say / Tell me you miss my ways / Tell me you miss my face.” By studying the lyrics, it becomes apparent the album was largely influenced by both the band members' personal breakups and the impending breakup of the band. The album closer, "Wipe Those Prints and Run", tells us "So it's time for us to run ... Fame, it means a lot to us." Perhaps there's truth to those gold-or-bust rumors.
The fact that Yoko is such a solid album is bittersweet; it stands as a testament that commercial success is a poor indicator of actual quality. It's unfortunate that bands regardless of talent need some amount of financial success to survive. Whether Beulah's demise was a result of poor album sales or not, I propose everyone go out and buy Yoko. Maybe if we can boost it to its coveted place among gold records, Beulah will give it another go.
Record Label: Velocette Records
Release Date: September 9, 2003
“A good band is easy to kill.” So aptly is titled Beulah's tour DVD, which was released two years after the band's final album, Yoko. As many music fans know, it's all too often the good bands that die young. And as slightly arrogant as the DVD's tagline is, proclaiming Beulah to be "the best band you never heard," they just may have been right. In 2004 the band broke up, reportedly because Yoko failed to achieve gold status. The fact that four of Beulah's members split with their respective wives or girlfriends in the same year also likely put a strain on the band. Perhaps the fact that their final album shares its name with another notorious band wife wasn't a coincidence?
While the meat-and-potatoes of Yoko is meandering, sometimes moody pop, that's not to say the band doesn't incorporate other styles into the songs. A few of the tracks have a decided country twang to them, especially on "Me and Jesus Don't Talk Anymore." The distorted vocals on “Your Mother Loves You Son” give the song a low-fi, rawer sound. Guitars also show up on this track more than any other, making it the edgiest song of the album. On "Wipe Those Prints and Run", there's a trumpet part in the chorus that brings to mind the smoky speakeasies of the 20's. Miles Kurosky's lead vocals are the perfect accompaniment to Yoko's moody pop. Soft and expressive, his voice doesn't immediately pop, but this is just because it fits in so well with the music. The entire album has a slightly lazy energy, making it perfect to throw on during a slow Sunday afternoon.
Getting past the cheerful melodies and digging into the lyrics reveals Yoko to be a much darker album than it appears at first listen. On "Your Mother Loves You Son", Kurosky laments, "It's so hard not to be crushed / When you're praying for too much / And the stars refuse to shine for you." "Hovering" finds him wondering, "Why won't you write? / Write me a word to say / Tell me you miss my ways / Tell me you miss my face.” By studying the lyrics, it becomes apparent the album was largely influenced by both the band members' personal breakups and the impending breakup of the band. The album closer, "Wipe Those Prints and Run", tells us "So it's time for us to run ... Fame, it means a lot to us." Perhaps there's truth to those gold-or-bust rumors.
The fact that Yoko is such a solid album is bittersweet; it stands as a testament that commercial success is a poor indicator of actual quality. It's unfortunate that bands regardless of talent need some amount of financial success to survive. Whether Beulah's demise was a result of poor album sales or not, I propose everyone go out and buy Yoko. Maybe if we can boost it to its coveted place among gold records, Beulah will give it another go.