ALBUM REVIEW: Beddy Rays – Beddy Rays
If the criteria for a self-titled debut album is to entirely capture the energy of a band, then Beddy Rays does exactly this. With the main themes being love for their hometown, enjoying the summer and checking in on your friends, you’ll feel well acquainted with the band after listening, and immersed into their world. While mental health isn’t an uncommon topic in alternative music, BEDDY RAYS’ approach to it is certainly different. The Australian indie-punk quartet deal with some difficult themes in an upbeat, positive manner, in catchy songs that sound exactly how summer beach trips feel.
Opener Wait A While is a strong song to start with, solely because it encompasses what this band are about: a catchy chorus with verses that address a friend, and showing support in a difficult situation. It feels reassuring and uplifting, leading in nicely to the rest of the album. FOTU (Fear Of The Unknown) is another extremely strong track, and the backing vocals cleverly emphasise the line “friends always keep me afloat.” On My Own leads its way into the song with a distorted guitar, slowly building into something punchy and memorable. The melody of the lyrics repeating back in the guitar in the chorus makes the song very replayable.
Sort It Out is possibly the catchiest song on the album, immediately drawing you in, with the outro building up to a height where the song abruptly ends. Handful is a strong song, full of original ideas. This song leans more on the indie side of indie punk, starting with an easy-going, relaxed sound before bursting into an upbeat instrumental that brings the pace right back up. Brin’s Song is raw and honest, with the sounds of the studio at the beginning reflecting this. The acoustic sound places the focus on the emotional lyrics, and although they’re hard-hitting, they are still optimistic, which makes for a touching and heart-wrenching song. Sobercoaster drives the pace up quickly with an upbeat sound whilst speaking on the harsh realities of drinking culture. Once again, the band perfectly encapsulate the feeling of summer and partying, when the good mixes in with the bad. This song hits like an anthem and gives a festival-like feel.
Though there are no bad songs on this album, it’s the first eight that stand out the most. Milk does hold its own as one of the main singles, and by introducing faster guitars and more intense drums, the sound is switched up. The next few tracks, while still upbeat and positive, aren’t as impactful as the rest, and the sound begins to feel a bit repetitive. Easy Man feels like it could be influenced by indie bands like KAISER CHIEFS and THE WOMBATS, which is an interesting change compared to the rest of the pop-punk inspired songs. Closer Good With Bad is a solid, satisfying end, although not one of the best. Again, if this album is designed to simply introduce the band, then this track wraps that up nicely, particularly with its fairly memorable lyrics.
Beddy Rays is a solid introduction to the band, and although it struggles to stay so good the whole time, especially as the best and most musically interesting songs are the ones at the beginning of the album, it definitely completes the task of selling the band and drawing interest. The themes, especially those of drinking culture and male friendships are explored well and mean you definitely feel somewhat connected to the members. Although it’s not the most experimental or thought-provoking album ever, it has created a lot of live bangers, producing a fun and bubbly energy that’s needed in alternative music right now, and setting BEDDY RAYS firmly in the category of bands to look out for.
Rating: 7/10
Beddy Rays is set for release on July 29th via self-release.
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