Astralwerks
2004
Heroes To Zeroes
About This Album
The Beta Band have rarely pronounced themselves happy with their own work, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it's usually quite good. (Once, the public sniping began before an album had even appeared in the stores.) From all reports, Heroes to Zeros, their first complete self-production since reaching a major label, has finally contented the group. And though they've succeeded in their attempts to make their music more direct and compact, the album is still clearly the work of the same methodically shambolic Beta Band of old -- the perfect balance of straight-ahead and ahead-of-the-curve. Beginning with their first three EPs, the group's subversive performances only barely masked their inspired melodies and Stephen Mason's distinctive voice. (If he were a pianist, he'd be using the black keys often and exploring the new notes that arise when striking two keys at the same time.) Their first two full-lengths were beautiful, but stubbornly so, as though the group were keeping a wonderful secret and didn't want it to get out. Bored with the prosy material of the past, the Beta Band decided to focus on their talents at crafting pop music, and fortunately, they didn't jettison their uncommon sound in the process.
Track List (try tracks 1,4,7 and 11)

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