With the release of their debut single “Ladybird” earlier this year, London, UK-based indie rock quartet Beach Baby quickly received both national and international attention across the blogosphere for a New Wave/post-punk sound reminiscent of The Smiths and others. Interestingly, the band can trace their origins to when co-founders and co-vocalists Lawrence (guitar, vocals) and Ollie (guitar, keys, vocals) had placed an ad seeking members for their then-folk-driven musical project while both were attending Goldsmiths College. As the story goes, Athens, Greece-born Iraklis (bass), showed up to an audition dressed up like a ’50s college freshman and then Shep (drums) was recruited to complete the lineup.
The London-based quartet’s latest single “U R” has the band pairing shimmering guitar chords, a propulsive, motorik-like groove, a soaring and anthemic hook that you can practically hear kids in a sweaty little club lustily singing along with, with lyrics that focus on the start and bitter ending of a relationship that has its narrator feeling ambivalent and confused. Was the relationship one of the best things that happened to this life? Or was the breakup the best thing that happened because the relationship was so wrong, so dysfunctional that he’s freed from something truly terrible? Should he even feel bitter and confused? Although open-ended, much like life itself, the song manages to be wistful and bittersweet look back at a relationship that should feel familiar — while evoking the dashed hopes and expectations of a relationship and of one’s summer.
The recently released music video follows Lily, its protagonist through the five stages of break-up grief that evokes the surreal feeling of your life being irrevocably altered and not quite knowing how to react or what to do before you finally begin moving forward with your life.
