Hot Shots II

Brits probably knew of this band when they first hit the scene - conceived of them as some sort of amalgam of Oasis and Radiohead - but Americans have Stephen Frears to thank for any exposure to The Beta Band: Cusack puts on 'Dry The Rain' from The Three E.P.'s to apparently sell five copies of the record. Unfortunately, Hot Shots II doesn't boast a track nearly as good as 'Dry The Rain' and is far flatter than Heroes to Zeros, their third and final release. Lyrically, it's wanting - tho I do dig this outburst: 'I never been the type to sing all night but Aaaaaaaaaah!' - and every song begins to sound the same, rhythmically as well as vocally, aiming but mostly failing (save on 'Quiet') to achieve a negotiation of the casual and the vigorous.

yeah no it's boring. i'll wait for The Release Band instead.

Thought this was pretty good, completely new to me. Adaptation of Daydream in the first song was kind of cool.

You know what? I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5.

It’s not an album for everyone, and I can tell you that immediately. This is an oddity, and sort of an evolving one. I think the opening track isn’t a great tonesetter for what this eventually settles into, which is a trance-inspired ‘60s-style psychedelic rock album with electronica / triphop elements lending a helping hand to set the tone, in a way that feels sort of like a prototype Gorillaz (ignore that they’re both from 2001) if Jim Morrison was a member.

One’s ability to enjoy this album will come entirely in how much you allow yourself to be entranced by these beats; I’m generally predisposed to softer, somewhat ambient stuff, so the minimalist approach here worked for me. I also think these tracks layer upon themselves really nicely in a way where the longer fadeouts & outros on this album feel natural, feel earned, and almost feel rewarding. Normally, I’m one to bitch & moan whenever a long outro happens, because it usually happens once a track has felt like it’s run its course, and it’s just padding for time. That only happened a few times here, and even then, it never felt like that big of a deal. Sure, some of these COULD have been cut down a little, but I think doing so might take one out of the entrancing effect just a bit too early & abruptly.

I say all of this like it’s an album actively trying to hypnotize you in a way, and I’m not entirely sure that’s the intent, but it gives that effect regardless. The vocal harmonies this album brings feels sort of like the Beach Boys with Beck leading the way, and the vocal structures of this album glide on the beats really nicely. I don’t think I really found myself actively trying to comprehend most of the lyrics, but it’s a testament to the album as a sort of aural experience that I caught them. Part of it is the repetition (this album REALLY hits lines over your head at times), but part of it is just getting lost enough in the beat that you can focus elsewhere and still stay in the rhythm.

Again, it’s not for everyone; the floor here is a 3, and that’s if the beats just don’t feel appealing or if the repetition feels too prevalent. Perhaps my slightly distracted state while listening to the album helped a bit, but I think it’s very easy to get lost in the rhythm regardless. For as absolutely stupid as the cover art is (seriously, who let them pick THAT?), I think the album just really clicked with me. It feels like much more of a nighttime album than a daytime one, so that might help too.

For how much I enjoyed this, even though I was sitting at a steady (but slowly rising) 4 for most of the album, I think it’s just consistently good enough and entrancing enough to get the bump up to a 5. Yes, it’s a “slower” 45 minutes, but much like David Crosby’s album from yesterday, it’s the sort of slow album that makes you really appreciate it by the end of it. I certainly have. Hopefully, their other album on the list sticks to this style.

2nd. album by this band, and I still don't get it.
First track is fine (though not the best reuse of "daydream"), but it's all downhill from there.

Cool album, though nothing really stood out aside from the first few tracks

Lyrics from the last song - "and the music we make is not particularily good"

Hm you don't say...

2 ⭐️

It was a bit floppy - not a lot really happened. I'd say I'd go back to it as it wasn't unpleasant, but I can't really say I remember much of it immediately after listening?

Hot Shots II is a rather weird album in my eyes. There were points when it would sound like a 2 star album but there were also points when it would sound like a 4 star album. Though one thing was fairly consistent on my opinions on these song, and those were that the songs with more electronic elements were the ones i enjoyed more. The songs were fairly groovy and could have some fairly relaxing qualities but i also did feel like some of the songs didn't flow very well in terms of vocals with Eclipse probably being the worst offender of this. Other than that, i couldn't really find too many issues with this album. It's a decent listen, just i do think it could be better.
Best Song: Squares
Worst Song: Eclipse

So the Gorillaz comparisons aren't entirely wrong, and I was excited whenever some trip hop elements popped up here and there.... But it's mostly pretty bad in execution. Lots of blandness and repetitiveness.

Standouts: Human Being • Gone • Alleged

I quite enjoyed this one, but I like The Beta Band. I liked this one more than Heros to Zeros.

Alright, but nothing too special.

The Beta Band is a group I only started hearing about earlier this year, from catching one of their earliest hits, "Dry the Rain", on my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist. They're a Scottish indie rock group that combines elements of folk, psychedelia, electronica, post-rock, and trip-hop. They were rather big in the early 2000s, with their music featured in a couple of comedy-drama films and even opening for Radiohead after impressing them. After giving their second album, Hot Shots II, a few listens, I have come to respect them.

It took a bit for this album to click with me, given its rather minimalistic approach in composition. I will say that there are moments where the arrangements sound gorgeously produced with Steve Mason's soft-spoken delivery and reverbed guitar lines, John Maclean's light keyboard flair paired with quaint electronic elements, and Robin Jones's lo-fi accented percussion. The record is a tad demanding to listen to, as the quieter playing and surrealist lyricism necessitate more of the listener's attention to pick up on the more subtle flourishes in the mix. But it is rewarding upon relisten. The spare cowbell under the chopped-up guitar strumming of "Alleged", the soft piano melody of "Gone", the backmasking used as the rhythm before crescendoing to the full-on drum blitz of "Human Being"; these are a few of the textures I enjoyed in my second listen.

I ended up appreciating Hot Shots II and will consider paying more attention to the Beta Band, especially now that they reunited this year.

The best part of this record is the sample at the beginning. “Life” is an okay song too.

This was my first time listening to The Beta Band, and after just one playthrough, I knew I had to download it and give it another spin.

I was already familiar with Squares, which is a fantastic track, and I’m happy to say the rest of the album holds up well. It’s an easy, enjoyable listen with a laid-back vibe reminiscent of Gorillaz and MGMT — perfect for background listening. While it lacks a few standout moments, it’s consistently solid throughout.

Favorite song: Squares — a great track.
Least favorite: Honestly, every track earned its place on the album, but I wouldn’t have minded a couple more big hitters like Squares.
Album artwork: Cool cover — though I’m still not sure what’s going on in the middle!

Totalmente inerte. Tenía cositas para que me gustara mucho más, pero es como si fueran a medio gas todo el rato.

Canción destacada: Human Being

Ok album, not very memorable as I'm having a hard time recalling anything about it when I write this review the morning after listening to it. I remember it not being my thing, but I don't remember why. 2/5

Los he escuchado de pasada alguna vez en Radio3, pero nunca un album completo. Veo que tenía Squares como favorita de antes. Pues salvo esa, un peñazo en general, se salva porque es tranquilito y se queda en 2 estrellas.

Never heard of them, so no idea what to expect with this one. The good news is that they aren't boring and the noises (though there are noises, beep bloop), lyrics, and singing are acceptable to me. Still, I bet there are jokes in the other reviews about them rightfully not being the Alpha Band. And those jokes would make sense, because they aren't really tops, they're just okay.

Highlights: 'Human Being', 'Dragon', 'Quiet' (the sun and the people DO blind me!!)

Lowlights: the rhyme scheme of 'Life'

Very weird mix of sounds that can't really be pinned down to being part of any genre. Some trip-hop vibes here and there, some R&B influence throughout, but not wholly either of those things. Vocal delivery, is soft, melodic, and echoey; really pushes this almost into ambient territory. Overall production just sounds "'90s" for lack of a better descriptor. Outside of keeping my head nodding, I'm not sure it really does much for me. I do think it's something that might grow on me with repeated listens though.