Beatspoke - The Journey is the Destination

Beatspoke
The Journey is the Destination
2016
Spotify

This album more likely than not fly under the radar completely and that is a real shame. Beatspoke use an intensely melodic brand of R&B and electronic music to create something that is not only beautiful, but also evocative of the best parts of both of the genres. The majority of the album is firmly placed in the "chill" category never crossing into ambient but just hovering around that kind of music you can nod your head to but you would never completely let loose. It might be easy to call The Journey is the Destination modern day lounge music, but it just has more to it than that. This is not something meant to be played in the background as people chat and drink, it is much more than that, more complex. The production is quite technical and very well done with tones seeming to fly in and out, circling around your head almost at will. The thought might be to describe it as glitchy, but it is glitchy in a way that is totally melodic and never off putting. Beatspoke know what works about their sound and they use it to full advantage.

If you were yo classify their sound it most likely would be called electronic soul, and that definition fits. Sarah Gessler's vocals just simply caress the beats that Josh Fontan creates. If this was a by gone era you could imagine Sarah slung over a piano belting out something similar to these tracks. If there is a weakness it is probably in the rap verses. On songs like "Solid Intention" the rap comes in a breaks up what is otherwise a really interesting song. It feels more like an afterthought than the core of the song which for a band like this the core of everything is always the most important. "Never Enough" sonically is one of the more upbeat and more fun tracks. It seems to be what the album slowly builds to and gives you that crescendo that has been promised from minute one of the record. Most of the tracks are at least four minutes and a few go over five, which seems to just be more dran out mixes rather than integral to the song. In the end this sophomore release from Beatspoke really is quite pretty and a very fun listen, make sure you are not the one who misses the boat on these guys.

7.3 out of 10