Once We Were Trees

Beachwood Sparks’ indie credentials are second to none. Their sophomore album Once We Were Trees was recorded at J Mascis’ Massachusetts studio by Pernice Brother Thom Monahan, and is released here on the legendary Rough Trade label. Hell, even the press release was penned by Spinmaster General Jonathan Poneman, the man who, along with Bruce Pavitt, gave the fledgling Nirvana their first big break when the duo signed the group to Sub Pop.

Sadly, this record isn’t quite the sum of its parts. Lyrically and musically, Once We Were Trees is frequently so opaque as to make early R.E.M. albums sound like paragons of clarity in comparison. Not that there’s anything wrong with a little mystery of course, as Stipe and co. have so effectively demonstrated. But after fifteen tracks’ worth of dreamy country and hazy psychedelia, chances are you’ll be longing for even the slightest variation in tempo.

Having said all that, there are some superb moments here. The shifting rhythms and gorgeous harmonies of ‘Confusion Is Nothing New’, and the bittersweet pop of the brilliant ‘The Sun Surrounds Me’ are cases in point. One utterly unexpected highlight is a cover of Sade’s ‘By Your Side’, which the band have turned into something of an alt.country epic, awash in melancholy harmonica and the ubiquitous lap-steel.

However, these moments are in the minority. Once We Were Trees is a perfectly pleasant listening experience, but I won’t be in a rush to stick it on again anytime soon.