Album Review: Menace Beach, Black Rainbow Sound

The third album from English five-piece Menace Beach, Black Rainbow Sound, is a somewhat erratic mix of drum machines, synths, loops and guitar noise.

Opening with the punchy title track, it proves to be an album of extremes, fluctuating between soft and hard, light and dark. Indeed, it sometimes manages to feel simultaneously grungy and dreamy. A perfect example of the contrasting textures comes with the one-two of ‘Tongue’ and ‘Mutator’; the former is a dream-pop tune, while the latter has a more upbeat rock sound. While the record frequently takes a maximalist approach, the lyrics are often relegated to an afterthought, with standard-issue teen angst the order of the day.

The reference points are all present and correct – including a doff of the cap to The Cure on ‘Hypnotizer Keeps The Ball Rolling’ – but Menace Beach have trouble establishing their own identity. Indeed, Black Rainbow Sound is a product of the republic of adolescence, courtesy of the angry guitars, pounding drums, and lyrics consisting entirely of variations on “What’s the point?” Maybe next time Menace Beach will hit on a distinctive sound to call their own.