The Beta Band - Hot Shots II (Astralwerks, 2001)

The Beta Band
Hot Shots II
Astralwerks
2001

Rating: 9 high fidelities out of 10

Oh Scotland, you’ve done it again. From the land of loch ness monsters and haggis, The Beta Band is proving once again that Scotland is the better half of the British Isles when it comes to music. On their second full-length release, they continue down the path set forth in their previous releases of presenting a veritable pastiche of the musical landscape. They combine sounds from all over the spectrum – trip hop, pop, folk, space rock, trance/techno beats and sounds, etc – into a sound that very few bands sound anything like, and very few reviewers can ever actually identify. They jump from genre to genre, but it never sounds forced – rather, more like a good mix tape that a friend might make for you. If I had to compare them to someone, I would say a cross between Pink Floyd and Primal Scream, but I realize even that is a stretch. They combine so many different sounds and textures in to their different songs that almost anyone you ask would probably give you a different comparison. This album is good from beginning to end, but if I had to pick out my favorites then it would be ‘Squares’ and ‘Human Being’. If you are already familiar with their work, then I recommend checking this out, you won’t be disappointed. And if this is all new to you and you are interested, this would be a good starting point to get an idea of what The Beta Band is all about.