In a world with so many folk-pop albums it can be hard to stand out, but Anti Beyond (the stage pseudonym used by Chicago musician Andy Masters) finds a fresh sound with his self proclaimed "Meditative Indie Rock." Closet Space is chock-full of gems and intricacies that further intrigue with each listen.
Pina the second track would have to be my favorite. I respect the choice to abandon the traditional idea of the Verse Verse Chorus Verse song format and it serves this track well. Beginning with a delightfully surreal vocal loop, this song explores boundaries beyond simple folk, to say nothing of Andy's ethereal lead vocals. The loop keeps us grounded in a song that rarely repeats itself and never seems to settle or resolve. After a dreamy beginning, the harmonized electric guitar breakdown feels so purposeful and serves to communicate the last lyrics of the song: "so self assured...in an uncertain world." It is a beautiful fascinating song.
So we go into The Trojan War. A song that benefits from the lack of loops or overdubs as the rapid fingerpicked triplets dance across the guitar neck. "Who are you waiting for? Who won the Trojan war?" Andy croons in the chorus. "Was it me?” This makes me think of falling for someone so difficult to impress you would need to commit a grand gesture, such as kidnapping the wife of a Greek King and fighting a 10 year war, to prove your love. “Who are you waiting for?” sounds like an exasperated plea: who else would do all of this for you? Or consider how the Greeks won the war: by hiding their army within a large wooden horse, masquerading as a gift, in order to get in the city. Was he with someone who seemed like a gift until he saw the danger within? Lines like this song's chorus make this an EP that is really fun to unpack.
Other lines are perfectly clear but clever enough that I enjoy listening to them anyways. Such as the following line from the title track Closet Space:
"I try to catch a piece or two of your DNA
I will splice it in a song
I wont have to say your name"
Self referential lyrics in a song can be a bit oversaturated but this bit about the DNA gets me. I find it to be a clever take on an old trick. And that is exactly what this EP is: a refreshing take on acoustic folk songs. At just four songs it's a short trip into Andy's Closet Space but you will like what you find. To hear more Andy Masters (Anti Beyond) check out some his tracks on his bandcamp page. Spoiler alert: they're FREE!
Pina the second track would have to be my favorite. I respect the choice to abandon the traditional idea of the Verse Verse Chorus Verse song format and it serves this track well. Beginning with a delightfully surreal vocal loop, this song explores boundaries beyond simple folk, to say nothing of Andy's ethereal lead vocals. The loop keeps us grounded in a song that rarely repeats itself and never seems to settle or resolve. After a dreamy beginning, the harmonized electric guitar breakdown feels so purposeful and serves to communicate the last lyrics of the song: "so self assured...in an uncertain world." It is a beautiful fascinating song.
So we go into The Trojan War. A song that benefits from the lack of loops or overdubs as the rapid fingerpicked triplets dance across the guitar neck. "Who are you waiting for? Who won the Trojan war?" Andy croons in the chorus. "Was it me?” This makes me think of falling for someone so difficult to impress you would need to commit a grand gesture, such as kidnapping the wife of a Greek King and fighting a 10 year war, to prove your love. “Who are you waiting for?” sounds like an exasperated plea: who else would do all of this for you? Or consider how the Greeks won the war: by hiding their army within a large wooden horse, masquerading as a gift, in order to get in the city. Was he with someone who seemed like a gift until he saw the danger within? Lines like this song's chorus make this an EP that is really fun to unpack.
Other lines are perfectly clear but clever enough that I enjoy listening to them anyways. Such as the following line from the title track Closet Space:
"I try to catch a piece or two of your DNA
I will splice it in a song
I wont have to say your name"
Self referential lyrics in a song can be a bit oversaturated but this bit about the DNA gets me. I find it to be a clever take on an old trick. And that is exactly what this EP is: a refreshing take on acoustic folk songs. At just four songs it's a short trip into Andy's Closet Space but you will like what you find. To hear more Andy Masters (Anti Beyond) check out some his tracks on his bandcamp page. Spoiler alert: they're FREE!
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