By Cassidy Byrnes

Minneapolis natives, Beemer, have just released their debut self-titled album today, June 30th. Made up of five talented musicians; Hank Donato, Luke Enyeart, Cooper Doten, Reese Kling, and Caleb Anderson, Beemer describes themselves as making “experimental yacht rock,” per their bio on Spotify. If I were to place them in a set with other artists, Djo and Wallows feel like a great fit.  

Having just heard of them, I can tell you that Beemer will be featured and repeated on all of my playlists for the foreseeable future. This debut album has everything anyone could ever want; a track with a heavy harmonica solo, lyrical hints to having a crush, a reference to “Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Temptations, and a six-minute track with some of my favorite production moments on the record. 

The band starts the album with “Jaws,” which immediately caught my ear with an opening line of choir which turns into a groovy bass drop that no one can pass on. The track offers some advice that I assume the band has been taking, “Tarry no longer/Upward and onward/People don’t think like that anymore/Blindfold your conscience,” which has me thinking that they have abandoned the self-doubt that comes from creating. 

“Perfect Solution” is an easy listen with its moving synth production and an addition that I think really makes this track special; that harmonica solo that I mentioned previously. The third track, “Bachelors Of Youth,” really reminds me of the Wallows track “1980s Horror Film II.” Its smooth production is a great backdrop for the scene being set by Donato. I imagine it as a crowded bar when your crush walks in and everything seems to stop. 

“Butter” hits immediately with a groovy melody covered with synths and keys. I really enjoyed its mix of production and the “simp” adjacent lyrics like, “Buttercup you butter me up just to say you’re sorry,” but in the end, “I’ll never be enough/And you’ll never be enough.” Mixing the realization of a doomed relationship with the happy-go-lucky production is a masterclass in juxtaposition. The next track, “My Golden Brow,” is the longest on the album with a six minute runtime. It is clear that the band took this track as a chance to experiment with things they really haven’t touched as this track has a much darker tone than the previous tracks and marks a shift in the record.

“Sounds Like” seems to continue the narrative from “Jaws” but is stating the opposing viewpoint, “It feels like I’ve lost my touch/It sounds like I’ve lost my touch/It seems like I’ve lost my touch.” This track also offers something new in the production with a mix of horns throughout, giving it a brighter feel while also feeding the audience melancholia filled lyrics. In “A Conversation on NYE” the band sets another scene, this time I picture snow falling outside of a house party while two people are smoking, and like the title suggests, these two people are in conversation. The track’s production also features some keys that are similar in tone to holiday music which again, helps set the tone and scene of the song. 

The sentiment of “Always On Your Side” is right in the title. I think this track shows the range of the band, as it seems to exist in the territory of ballads but still has a little Beemer flair in the way that it’s produced. The drums aren’t too heavy and there are still some shimmering synths that appear throughout. The final track, “Good Person,” is another ballad and seems to be referencing an ended relationship. Lyrically, it offers a little hint of self-deprecation, “I can’t make you stay/Good person/I know what you need/I can’t wait to meet/Your person.” This is a great example of the saying, “If you love someone, let them go.”

It’s clear that Beemer put their hearts into this debut record and I am hoping for more in future.

Beemer will be playing an album release show at Turf Club in Saint Paul TONIGHT! Don’t miss it, but if you do, don’t worry as we will be there covering it and you can see our photo gallery early next week. Listen to Beemer’s debut album NOW!