Leeds based band Bean King do poppy shoegaze. I can hear you asking ‘Frank, what makes this poppy shoegaze band special?’; well it’s that they season this with more than a touch of grunge and a hint of emo.
‘Eagle Death’ – a song title I find myself strangely drawn to – has at its heart a languid tune that is earwormy as hell. The tune itself is swamped in mesmerising guitar – waves of glorious fuzzed up sound and some really rather good lead. It does of course, and you’d expect this, build to something a little more raucous. But it’s not the all out guitar wall of sound you might be expecting, it’s subtle.
At this point I feel I need to add in another element of their sound. The thing is that there is the merest dusting of a psychy sound. It’s in the vocals – way back in the mix, coming at you in waves of vocals that wash over you like syrup.
The whole is an absolute joy; glorious sounds that you really want to immerse yourself in and drift around in in absolute bliss. There’s really something rather special about this song. Wondrous stuff.
The info
Formed in February 2023, Bean King is a Leeds based pop-shoegaze quartet, mixing other influences such as emo and grunge. The band have been in the studio diligently working on their debut EP. ‘Eagle Death’ is the first single release from the EP.
