From 1996 to 2004 Beulah released some of the finest pop albums of that period, including the staggering opus When Your Heartstrings Break. When the band packed in and performed their final show in August of 2004 I was understandably distraught. So when it was announced last year that the bands chief architect, Miles Kurosky was set to return after a six year absence I was as giddy as a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert.
The Desert of Shallow Effects was issued by Majordomo last month and finds Miles Kurosky picking up where his former band left off. However, the record is hardly a solo affair, the album was recorded in San Francisco with over 30 contributors including many of Kurosky's former band mates.
With the quiet guitar strums of Notes From The Polish Underground Kurosky hits the ground running, unveiling a classic pop record that only gets better with each subsequent listen. It's fairly obvious that Miles labored over every single note on the record, however the album never feels calculated or over produced, quite the opposite actually. The everything but the kitchen sinks instrumentation is executed with great effect on almost every track. The only misstep is the sleepy, Housewives and Their Knives a track that feels like it could have been a b-side for Beulah's swan song Yoko. If that's the only issue I have with this close flawless collection, I think Kurosky has shown he hasn't lost a step in crafting some of the most undeniably catchy impressive songs of his career. With songs like I Can't Swim and the epic closer West Memphis Skyline, The Desert of Shallow Effects succeeds as grandiose pop statement and a welcome return for a genuine popsmith.
Buy The Desert of Shallow Effects here.
[MP3/Stream] Miles Kurosky- I can't Swim
