Album Review: Buried Beds – “Tremble The Sails”

Over the past few years the airwaves have been flooded with indie rock duets. The partition keeping the distinctive qualities of each act apart has blurred as the indie-folk genre has become increasingly popular amongst television commercials. I find with many of these duets, the band creates an intriguing sound that is worthy of a single, although the theme is pasted across every track of the album. You know the disappointment when you buy an album to get that overly catchy song out of your head, only to find that every song sounds exactly like the single. I am not going to isolate any bands here, but if you need examples feel free to comment.

Buried Beds has taken a stand with their sophomore album Tremble The Sails. The collaboration between the folksy Philadelphia duet of Eliza Jones and Brandon Beaver works to display a wide range of musical talent. This album successfully reveals the band’s cards and utilizes their hand in an addictive display of gothic folk rock. Vocally the band plays off the talents of both Jones and Beaver, although instrumentally the band is much more deep. Their folk rock sound is accompanied by well orchestrated strings on several tracks which offers the playful reminder that rockstars do not have to play guitar. As a whole, the album reveals the many layers that Buried Beds is able to create from the angelic melodies to the tragic harmonies.

In “Breadcrumbs” and “Telegram” Eliza Jones mimics the sound of countless female contemporary indie folk acts. She uses her angelic, whimsical voice to create landscapes that are a Dino Stamatopoulos animation away from a VISA or iPod commercial. I tend to shy away from these singers when this is the only melody they produce, although Buried Beds tastefully finds a place for Jones’s chipper dexterity and provides her counter argument in the beautifully tragic “Mother” and “Home”.

Between the calming nature of Jones’s voice are the heavy alt-rock riffs provided by Brandon Beaver. The tracks in which his vocals are featured tend to play on the harmonies of both vocalists. The scaling and soft spoken vocals of “Ivory Tower” and “Modern Age” are reminiscent of the late Elliot Smith. The repetitive and spirited clapping on “Ivory Tower” and the catchy chorus lines of “Modern Age” and “Heroes to Liars” will surely plague your mental radio.