Search - Beaten by Them :: Signs of Life

Chicago Has Been Beaten By Them

Nathan Young | Chicago, IL 60614 | 01/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I caught these guys in a very intimate performance at the Hawthorne Theatre in Portland, Oregon and again at their final San Francisco date during their U.S. West Coast Tour. No album could ever encompass the energy, emotion, complexity and pure joy of a BBT show but this one gets as close as humanly possible. Imagine my surprise as I was riding with friends through Lincoln Park the other day when they threw in Signs of Life. Chicago has been Beaten and we will never recover. The warmth of this album hugs you as you are taken on a journey of orchestrated art through thought and feeling all your own. The artists are the best of tour guides giving you the window seat while they drive the bus. Signs of Life will take you on the back roads to your place. This is a true masterpiece that began on the best of canvas and its end result is a timeless quality of sound that has been lost and that this generation never knew existed. I for one am ready for their next tour this side of the Pacific. Please come home guys!"

What? no banjo?

K. shepard | sf, ca | 02/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"if you ever have a hankering for a mysto road trip but don't have the cash or the logistical wherewithal to hit the open road i suggest you sit back and enjoy this collection of musical compositions that will set you adrift in a sea of banjoless bliss. you may find yerself on ship with a classical musician manning the sails and barefooted guitarist at the helm while mountains and deserts that shouldn't be there give shape to new air. this music takes you to places you want to be."

Thought Full Music With An Edge

Mike Breeze | 02/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Beaten By Them's new Signs Of Life is a great album. Its been in my regular playlist for a month or so now and I love the way it transports me away like so much of my favourite music does. Deep, thought full music and very high production levels make this a superb listen.



Pace and intensity builds through Town Too Small and Signs of Life (which is tantalisingly brief!) into The Asiatic Vista which I think is a Stand Out Track; and on and up to Verge which blew me away (which is quite something given my perhaps unjustified but nevertheless existent bias against rapped vocals)....And then the denouement of Yangtze, which I really listened to as a companion piece to Verge and was (I thought) the best music on the album... to Pioneer 10 which on recent listens has me drifting way, way, away before being brought back with that jolt at the end.



Here's my notes from that first listen a month or so ago...



Town Too Small - Cello....I definitely like music which isn't in a hurry...manic laughter reminiscent of some old Clint Eastwood spaghetti western...ahhh we're here...much better introduction of the new layers - when those cymbals come in its with zing rather than clang...crescendo coming now...



Signs Of Life - lovely in...is that a trumpet? Great drumming...hey its finished already...playing that one again...this is beautiful coming through my headphones - fingers sliding on strings...the mixture of pure acoustic sounds with keyboard...timpani...the crash of guitars wha hey! and then gone (our short impact on this world perhaps) and its over too soon. This one definitely leaves me wanting more.



The Asiatic Capital Vista - I'm really into these atmospheric intros...none too fluffy either - a good edge with distorted guitar punching through the melody...are we all just prog rockers at heart? oooo that's a nice build at around 4:05...a happy/melancholic ride this...cello bringing thoughts back to the conscious briefly...Cracker. Like this one.



Verge - Nice word verge..on the verge...to verge...verge...a slightly more uplifting tempo creeping here...guitar loop hooks me in...hey vocals!...disconnected at the join indeed...I'm thinking of wildlife being found most commonly at interfaces between different landscapes (hey - why not?)...people, life, situations build towards maximum creativity/productivity/joy/anything before teetering on the knife edge and falling apart...supernova...brilliance for an instant and then gone. This one led my thoughts all the way through to the end of Yangtze...



Yangtze - Playing it again...the cello is amazing - wonderful sound...second time round I'm still using it to let my thoughts drift after Verge - great listening...guitar coming in at 4:36 and accompanied by cello is great music (bit of radiohead influence there - especially around 6:00)...chimes at the end are striking...a wonderful piece of music.



Pioneer 10 - The kick drum sound is confusing me here - a live sound which contrasts a little with the feel; why was it recorded/produced like that I wonder?...treble guitar picking is great...again nicely recorded and very crisp on the headphones...drums ever marching now...slightly variable tempo...I'm enjoying the sound build...the romance of deep space craft gently pulsing a signal in from the Outer month after month, year after year, decade after decade..probably still out there but we just can't hear it any more...ahhh, but I'm not allowed to dwell on that romantic ebb...I've obviously drifted out of range!!



I'm yet to hear the vinyl version of Signs Of Life and am curious to hear whether those high production values which are so evident on CD really come to bear on the old faithful medium."