>> cover

>>

Released

“Wulftsan II”! What a great song. Geoff Barrow of Portishead sat down at the drums for real, at some point, and in 2009 he brought out this trio, very much a child of Neu! and Can. After Stereolab, Beak> is the most direct descendant of krautrock we have. There is that wonderful sense of time elapsing in a human and active way, where repetition has the room to become change. Lots of nice analog synth crunch and contained bass and guitar figures. No big barre chords or drones really—this is that same kind of gourmet selection you hear in Portishead brought to some rocke musicke. And the vocals work? Very undercelebrated album.

Sasha Frere-Jones

Recommended by

Suggestions
Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! cover

Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Gallowsbird’s Bark cover

Gallowsbird’s Bark

The Fiery Furnaces
Children of Alice cover

Children of Alice

Children of Alice
Vulnerabilia cover

Vulnerabilia

My Computer
Marble Skies cover

Marble Skies

Django Django
Cat’s Eyes cover

Cat’s Eyes

Cat's Eyes
After the Heat cover

After the Heat

Brian Eno, Dieter Moebius, Hans-Joachim Roedelius