“Just wanna sort it out.“
Beddy Rays‘ debut record takes listeners into a deep dive of their energetic world and relatable themes; mates, summer and having a bev. Hailing from Australia they follow suit in bands such as Ocean Grove who prefer to focus their music on the pleasantries of life while choosing their moments to explore the deeper side of things. However when touching on topics of emotional wellbeing and support networks, they don’t avert from the catchy riffs and upbeat nature of the record.
The singalong capabilities of the record is the immediate draw of it, even by the time the record hits track four of “On My Own“, which contains a catchy chorus in itself. Previous tracks such as “Wait A While” and “FOTU” have delivered vocal hooks and lyrics that will engrain themselves in the memory. “I want to spend my lifetime drinking beers in sunshine, on an ocean hillside and when I’m old I’ll be a sobercoaster” is one that will fondly stick in the memory with its down to earth nature.
Sonically the ground that Beddy Rays tread is a double-edged sword. Its full of the riffs, grooves and melodies that are all grand to have a shimmy to, however bar the exception of “Brin’s Song” which is a run of the mill acoustic, the album doesn’t deviate from its initial formula. For those looking for a record packed with anthems, that can be blasted out on the beach, which I do believe is the record’s intention. Then the self-titled’s formula will be one to blast while cracking open a cold one, although on an isolated listen there is potentially more to be desired in terms of variety.
As a debut record, Beddy Rays delivers a solid introduction into the Australian’s joyous world of having a good time with your mates and looking after them. There will be a certain draw to that, however sonically there is perhaps more to be desired. While undoubtly fun, the pop-punk and alt-rock elements feel somewhat stuck in the 2015s which results in a “days gone by” emotion to the record rather than “days to come“. Given the ability shown across the record however, the Beddy Rays will be able to evolve on what they’ve built with what comes next.
5/10
Beddy Rays is out now.