Beachwood Sparks

There could probably be a few bands dubbed North Stars for RSTB, but I’d certainly say that Beachwood Sparks is among the top contenders. Having first heard the band in the early ‘00s, I’d chased the band’s gauzy sound through its influences, sparking a love for the Byrds and Burritos that came before them. The band always seemed like they were a bit out of synch with approved tastes, too indie for the country folks, too country for the indie folks. Culled from the the noisier nodes of Further and Strictly Ballroom, the assembled players’ turn to crisper air and Canyon sounds felt like an abrupt affront to the indie rock machinations at play during the turn of the century. But, years on and several resurrections later, their brand of air-cooled country-psych seems like a roadmap that so many bands have followed.

Even around the last reformation, in 2012, the band still felt like they were a bit ahead of a movement that was beginning to crest over the horizon. Having fully vested, the Cosmic American boom of the last few years has now caught up to the currents in Beachwood’s wake. In that light, Across The River of Stars shines bright, a prime example of the band’s West Coast winds. Balancing the gauziest textures of Once We Were Trees with the Americana openness of Tarnished Gold, the band feels confident in their own skin. The album retains Beachwood’s golden glow, buoyed by synths, sonorous harmonies, and the sepia-tinged twang that has long been their ally. With Chris Robinson behind the boards, they’ve crafted a record that speaks to their legacy, while pushing their sound to the forefront of the current cosmic crop.

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