Released:
Rating:
‘No Mind No Money’ should be jammed in that stereo for years to come.
Label: Island Records
Released: September 2nd 2016
Rating: ★★★★
We’ve had rain, more rain and then a dash of a heatwave – so the climate that’s bathed over these isles really can’t claim any sphere of influence when it comes to Beach Baby. Taking things step by step over the past few years, ‘No Mind, No Money’ finally stands as their opening gambit to the world, and boy does it leave a mark.
The early singles that first pricked ears sounds refreshed and energised, and act as the record’s true hook-worthy spine. From the thick and heavy lines of ‘Limousine’ through to ‘U R’ and its now beefed up punch of lush harmonies and serene heights – what ‘No Mind, No Money’ truly manages to capture is a sense of loneliness, dreaming and desperation in a world with no obvious pathways. The undeniable pop sensibilities shine through, with ‘Ladybird’ building to a sonic soundscape, and the title track itself chopping and turning like a succinct pop nugget. When Beach Baby hit form, they’re unstoppable.
Yet what makes ‘No Mind No Money’ something more than just a late-summer pop album is the daring detours into psychadelica, shoe-gaze and alt-rock that fill the album’s edges. ‘Smoke Won’t Get Me’ is full of Cocteau Twins sharpness, with the likes of ‘Powderbaby’ acting as a beefy kick to the gut that spirals into a blissful singalong conclusion and ‘Bug Eyed And Blonde’ stripping away the sugary pop coating for an almost Drive-like glacial swoon.
An exciting and dynamic record, ‘No Mind No Money’ should be jammed in that stereo for years to come. And do it with sand, a bit of grit and a whole heap of banger-sauce – because that’s exactly what Beach Baby are. Jamie Muir
