New Music: Arthur Beatrice - Real Life

A simple question (that probably doesn't have a simple answer):

Why aren't Arthur Beatrice massive? Or at least bigger than they are? Oh and I don't mean massive as in 'who ate all the pies?'. They look a reasonably slender bunch in that respect. I imagine them to be more of a salad than burger and chips band.

New song Real Life provides a reason for me to ask this (not the pie question, the musically massive question), as it blows up with a killer chorus. Think Florence & The Machine meets Blue Lines era Massive Attack but with a gospel tinged beauty and elegance.

May 20th (the release date of their second album which will be called Keeping The Peace) can't come quickly enough.

Arthur Beatrice - Real Life

Arthur Beatrice - Who Returned (Video)

Who returned? Arthur Beatrice just did. Oh gosh. This undoubtedly takes the band to the next level. 

This beautiful collision of a techno pulse, the graceful strings of the London Contemporary Orchestra and Ella’s commanding vocal will no doubt find London Grammar and Massive Attack fans nodding appreciatively. Whereas the group’s debut album seemed to be a closely guarded secret Who Returned stands at the top of the mountainside, arms aloft, wind in hair, screaming for everyone to listen. The performance video that accompanies the song is equally striking.

No slight return here. For once we're virtually speechless / wordless.

Arthur Beatrice - Who Returned (Video)

Arthur Beatrice - Carter (Cut)

Arthur Beatrice (they’re a band not a person) aren’t rushing things are they? From early on line interest in 2011 there’s still no sign of an album, but with news of a forthcoming EP titled Carter there is hope that things are finally happening.

We’re not sure who or what the Carter that Arthur Beatrice are referring to is, but we’d like to think that they’re paying homage to Jimbob and Fruitbat, better known as Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, the only band we can think of to have their fat topless MC and lighting man introduce them on stage every night to repeated audience shouts of “you fat bastard.” Never knock Carter USM though, at their peak they had a number 1 LP and 3 more reached the top 10. Most indie rock bands could only dream of success like that now. But then these days most indie bands are too busy pissing around on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram trying to get more followers rather than getting on with the business of making great music.

However, listening to the subtle graces of Carter (Cut) we doubt it is about the 30 Something drum machine rockers of yesteryear. Unless the lyric “so never tell me that I think of you holding on, to any solid body sinking me, faith all gone” just before a cotton wool house piano riff glides in is a disguised reference to Jon Fat Beast’s rather large stomach. Although if it is and memory serves us well, Arthur Beatrice are wrong; we’d describe it as a mass of jelly rather than a solid body.

Irrespective of if solid or gelatinous though, this song is beautifully fluid. It doesn’t impact immediately and takes a few plays to fully appreciate its subtle flow, Ella Girardot  gradually coaxing you in with her contemplative coo. Not something that Carter USM could ever be described as doing really. The EP will be available next month.

Arthur Beatrice - Carter (Cut)

Arthur Beatrice - New Waves

Arthur Beatrice sit somewhere between art and the mainstream, somewhere between groove and tranquillity, somewhere between male and female. 

This London group has picked up a lot of attention on-line from many of the more indie-centric blogs and websites since they first appeared in 2011. At first glance they sounded perfect. There were references in articles written about them to Kate Bush, The Sundays,  The XX and The Smiths - all bands that Breaking More Waves upholds in the highest esteem.

Then we pressed play and found ourselves disappointed – because we didn’t hear any of these references at all. Sometimes expectation leads to being let down and we found ourselves shrugging our shoulders. So we filed Arthur Beatrice away and nearly forgot about them, until recently when we heard their debut release Midland again.

Without any context, without those references it sounded sophisticatedly wonderful. This was warm enthralling sounding musicianship that slowly grew into an uplifting guitar based groove. Ella Girardot’s vocal may begin modestly and gently enough, like a distant cousin of Trish Keenan of Broadcast (R.I.P) or Tessa Murray of Still Corners but before the songs out it has changed direction and reached for the stars. “I’ll never move I’ll never move I’ll always be so still,” she sings and as she does you might feel your knees going a little bit weak.

Add to this the six minute long What We Hoped To Achieve (see the extremely accomplished live performance below) and maybe you’ll understand why Arthur Beatrice have been getting tongues wagging. And if you don’t, don’t discard them yet. As we’ve said before and as we’ve just proved to ourselves, the most important ingredient of music is time.

Arthur Beatrice - Midland

Arthur Beatrice - Not Without Thinking

Arthur Beatrice - What We Hoped To Achieve (Live Video)

What We Hoped To Achieve (Recorded Live at Flesh + Bone) from Arthur Beatrice on Vimeo.