The Beta Band - The Three E.P.s (1998)

The Beta Band is a scottish group of fellows whose career together lasted from 1996-2004 with a discography comprised of three E.P.s and three L.P.s. This album is a collection of their first three releases (which by the album title you could probably speculate were E.P.s)

• Champion Versions (1997)
• The Patty Patty Sound (1998)
• Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos (1998)

One of my favorite tracks on this compilation is the first song "Dry the Rain." The Beta Band are often labeled folk-hop for their blend of mellow acoustic guitars and sick drum beats and "Dry the Rain is a very good display of the Beta Band's overall style. Starting off with some sick guitar and shakers until around the two minute mark those drums kick in and then it just keeps building. Adding in more and more guitar tracks more and more shit starts happening and the whole track seems to start swelling up and then around 3:30 that bass gets damn funky and then those horns come in and then the final layer comes which is the perfectly suiting lyrical refrain:

If there's something inside that you wanna say
You can say it out loud it will be okay
I will be alright, I will be your light
I will be your light, I will be your light

I need love
I need love

That build up is just so fucking religious at the end it makes the weight of the world feel just a little bit lighter.

"I Know" is a mellow song with a funky tambourine drum loop some guitar and some beeping sounds and thats about it and it rocks the whole way through.

"Dog Got A Bone" has no phat drums but does have a cool accordion sounding instrument and a bunch of vocal tracks on it. You can't really complain because the harmonica solo comes in after the three minute mark somewhere and the vocal tracks keep on layering and building up. A real chill track that builds up nicely without relying on the funky drumming.

"Monolith" is one trippy ass song that explores multiple genres. The beginning starts off with some ambient sounds and some vocal loops. Then the drums fade in and out and the song even goes into a Middle Eastern or Indian sounding beat and then they use like some scratched up dog bark to create the beat around 12 or 13 minutes. Sick percussion throughout this track.

"She's The One For Me" builds up until the 4 minute area and then those crazy altered pitches keep repeating the song title while the drums and guitar just go off. Good shit right here.

Overall, the Beta Band are a very experimental and creative genre defying band that explores many new structures, styles, and sounds. I think that my favorite E.P. at this time would probably be their first, Champion Verses, because lots of my favorite songs on the album are from this E.P.

The Beta Band - The Three E.P.s (1998)

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1. "Dry the Rain" – 6:05 (Champion Versions)
   
2. "I Know" – 3:58 (Champion Versions)
   
3. "B + A" – 6:35 (Champion Versions)
4. "Dogs Got a Bone" – 5:58 (Champion Versions)
5. "Inner Meet Me" – 6:20 (The Patty Patty Sound)
6. "The House Song" – 7:15 (The Patty Patty Sound)
7. "Monolith" – 15:48 (The Patty Patty Sound)
   
8. "She's the One" – 8:21 (The Patty Patty Sound)
   
9. "Push It Out" – 5:22 (Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos)
10. "It's Over" – 3:50 (Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos)
11. "Dr. Baker" – 4:08 (Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos)
12. "Needles in My Eyes" – 4:32 (Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos)