The Beta Band - brill-return of the original outsiders

The Beta Band have never taken an easy route and that is the way they like it. It is so refreshing to hear ad see a band that is not mad on gaining fame [or notoriety] by any price… to their soul. A lot of talent less musos get hooked on getting to the top, even if only for a time’s trifle.

Let assume that the mainstream music is an entrée and some avant-tranches are its main course, then the Beta Band are that indulgence that comes with a lot of choc and some potent cherry. The best thing is that they ain’t giving up on their chosen path of hovering on the outskirts of money-land. And they’ve always been serious about it.

In 1999 they were abusing their eponymous debut album before its release. A shame really, since their wildly eclectic sound proved to be the unrecognised link between The Beach Boys, Portishead, Captain Beefheart and skiffle. The second disc was a tad too eclectic although, ever since ‘Dry The Rain’ in 1997, many bands have tried to emulate the Betas’ shuffling space beats. ‘Heroes to Zeros’ demonstrates why few, if any - candidly, have ever succeeded.

Having taken 18 months to craft their third album, the cantankerous Edinburgh-based quartet have grown-up and honed themselves into serious contenders. At its best - the beautiful ‘Wonderrful’ and ‘Out-Side’, which begings with tribal drums and barking dogs - this album has the air of a major work. Steve Mason sings like an impious choirboy, especially on the desperately lonely ‘Troubles‘ while a luxuriant mix by Radiohead producer Nigel Goodrich brings a dozen drawplate tracks into a coherent whole.

While nobody could ever accuse the band of being commercial, this disc is a surprisingly direct ride. The combative single ‘Assessment’ is typical of an album which hones their outstanding way with beats to its purest form yet whilst ‘Simple’ display intricate textures that include indecently luscious strings. Forget the [cool] grumpy public image - anybody who crafts songs as a-kinky as ‘Space Beatle’ is on the side of the divine deviants.

Moving, poignant and, when the birdsong kicks in on ‘Assessment’, funny, The Beta Band sound like almost everyone. Nobody, though, sounds quite like them.

From ‘Heroes To Zeros’? Perhaps in the public eyes but musically - they ain’t fooling nobody.

8/10