antiMusic.com: Beijing

Beijing - Night

.
Beijing's music, like the city it was likely named after, is a bit enigmatic. These songs are many times more impressionistic than literal. For instance, one titled "Violent" features the lines: "Violent girl/You didn't have to go." Strangely, one would think a violent girl is the kind that would need to leave (and right away!) instead of begged to stay.

One of the more inventive songs on Night is "Wax Wings." It features prickly electric guitar lines, shifting melodic dynamics and layered vocals. Eric Thornberg is the group's lead vocalist, and he sings melodically, yet also with barely restrained passion. "Let Down" is a track that shows off this act's quieter side. On it, there is upfront acoustic guitar finger picking and a gentler vocal and backing track.

New Haven, CT, where this group is from, is a long way from China. Even so, the sound this act creates is relatively exotic, in that it's not always easily described. Some of it's kind of gritty, yet songs like "Standing" retain a bit of Smashing Pumpkins' sonic grandeur, which is a nice touch.

Unlike one of China's greatest exports, Chinese food, Beijing music is a meal that satisfies and will not leave you feeling hungry only an hour later.

Beijing - Night
Rating: