Title: overcooked and bland
Review: From the other comments I've read on this page, the other reviewers seem to have it just right. Where once the Beta Band produced an eclectic multi-instrumental mix of traditional song-writing and sampled-based structuring, they've now ended up playing vaguely annoying gonzo-idie-pop.Strangely, it's the dense mix of varied instrumental sound (that once made them so exciting) that hinders this record. Most instrumental parts seem laboured, too precise, lacking the laid-back slacker-energy of their early work.Steve Mason also has a pretty weak voice, and whereas this was once charmingly lo-fi part of the mix, his vocals are too heavily relied upon, and the monotone results grate more often than not.A once great band, with their best material now surely behind them: Go for "The 3 EPs" or "the Beta Band" instead.
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