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Local New Haven band Beijing has just released their EP “It’s Not So Simple” and it’s clear just from listening to their four tracks they will be the ones to watch for.
Forming in the spring of 2011, the quartet went on to write, record and produce their EP over the summer on their own.
After hearing a few of their songs, I was immediately brought back to my high school years where I would just lay in bed for hours, listening to bands like Weezer and Social Distortion and counting down the days until Warped Tour.
Though the band gets many comparisons, they try to stay clear of today’s music categories.
“We actually make a real conscious effort to avoid drawing inspiration from what’s out there right now,” says guitarist Thomas Smith. “I think as a result of that, a lot of the music that we grew up listening to in the 90s has come through in our songwriting.”
The first two tracks off the record, “Glitch” and “Hands in Front,” are reminiscent of the early 90s indie era.
“Glitch,” one of the first songs written once the band was formed, according to Smith, is a perfect start to the EP. The beginning chords within the first few seconds of “Glitch” resemble Silversun Pickup’s “Lazy Eye,” so naturally I was hooked. The second track, “Hands in Front,” keeps the same agro-indie sound, but the tone vocalist Eric Thornberg uses takes on a rough and gruffer approach.
My personal favorites off the EP, “Come Right Back” and “New Beginning” combine that grungy yet beautiful guitar sound with heartfelt lyrics, which remind me so much of Less Than Jake’s “Rest of My Life.”
Some would classify the sound of these tracks as “emo” because the band begins to show somewhat of a softer side with a more melodic beat and harmonious vocals.
Beijing is in the process of writing a full length album which they expect to record sometime next year.
“We’re actually currently working on a double LP. One album is going to focus on our noisy pop style, and the other is going to be a little darker and grungier,” said Smith. “Our goal right now is to complete 20 new songs by the end of 2011 and begin recording by early 2012. We’re probably about half way through that writing process right now.”
Overall, “It’s Not So Simple” proves to be an excellent start for a band that only formed months ago. Their songs are concise, and Beijing shows their versatility with their sound throughout the EP.
You can get “It’s Not So Simple” on iTunes, or you can get it for free courtesy of their website. Check them out! Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
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