Michael Beach - Dream Violence LP

The new album by Michael Beach, 'Dream Violence' displays real, considered songcraft but also embraces the raucous and spontaneous results of collaboration in a way that reminds me of Neil Young's 'After The Goldrush'.

Michael and collaborators Matthew Ford, Innez Tulloch (both of Thigh Master) and Peter Warden fold together decades of  "classic" and "esoteric" rock, with little nods to Iggy Pop & James Williamson's Kill City, The Stones in the 70s, Velvet Underground, The Feelies, Glenn Branca, but within the framework of a humble, regular-guy songwriter (as opposed to a larger-than-life countercultural figure).

There's a helluva lot to like about this record. Yes it ticks some record-store-cool musical comparisons but beyond that there's a real dedication to creating something deeply expressive. A record that should appeal to fans of something as universal as the aforementioned Neil Young, or as niche as Jim Shepard.
- Nic