Decade Look: Part 12 - The Beta Band's Heroes to Zeros

I've been rediscovering a lot of great music doing these posts, stuff that I loved when I first heard it and some that has grown on me. I remember first hearing this third and final album from The Beta Band and not appreciating it, but like all growers it has become bigger and better with age. It's been just short of six years since "Heroes to Zeros" release and it sounds just as good if not better after all this time. The album gets off to a raging start with "Assessment" a song that accomplishes more in four minutes than most songs can in six or seven. The guitar bridge three minutes in sets up for one of the album's best outros. In "Wonderful" Steve Mason's sleepy singing of 'she's so wonderful' is offset by the chorus in which he belts that 'it's all for you, I do'. "Out-Side" is a classic cut; the guitars, dog barks and high pitched voices near the end are all very 'British'. It's in the final three tracks that you can hear each component of the band's sound; a Beta Band holy trinity of sorts. The experimental, rock/folk and electronic sides of the band are demonstrated respectively in "Liquid Bird", "Simple", and "Pure For". It's with that last song that we have The Beta Band's swan-song and it's the perfect end for a tremendous band: "I'm so glad you found me" indeed.

Standout tracks: Assessment, Wonderful, Out-Side, Simple, Pure For