Beak> - >> (Double vinyl LP, CD)

Geoff “Portishead” Barrow of Portishead fame has been a busy lad lately, what with his massive hip-hop Quakers thing and his synthy Dredd-fest DROKK both dropping full lengths already this year, and as if that wasn’t enough excitement already here’s the cherry on top - a second album from his wobbly kraut weirdo rock band BEAK>!

Apparently it looked for a while like the band had lost their muse, returning home from tour “a truly awful-sounding pub prog-rock band” and unable to produce anything in the studio which they were satisfied with. Well luckily for us they’ve rediscovered their mojo and got their act together for this new album of hypnotic jams, with live drums and minimal synths and the odd bit of vocals.

The most obvious reference point here is Can. These guys clearly have been listening to the German repeato demi-gods a fair bit, but it’s tempered with a modern, sinister weirdness that makes them hard to pin down and reminds me a little bit of Liars’ latter albums. The synth tones are totally ace and quite varied and the grooves are unhurried and I’m completely charmed by it to be honest.

Particularly liking the prominent analogue pulses which drive the Blade Runner-esque Ladies Mile and the crunchy guitars and ethereal vocals of the following ‘Wulfstan II’ rocker, proper hard-hitting double shot right in the middle of the album. Ace. The whole record is jam packed with sinister hypnotic synth-heavy Can-esque kraut goodness, though. Phil just said, “This is definitely album of the week”, so you can stop holding your breath now.