Apache Beat - Last Chants
- Written by Sam Jones-Parry
Apache Beat have the kind of cool that makes bullied school boys weep. Straight out of the hipster kid holy land that is Williamsburg, Brooklyn, they’ve toured with splash-makers Crystal Castles, School Of Seven Bells and Deerhunter. They’re also fronted by the glamorous Ilirjana Alushaj who, it seems, is more famous than the band itself, a trendsetter often appearing in the pages of fashion glossies. She also runs the art, music and fashion magazine The Pop Manifesto, which recently expanded to encompass its own record label.
The band, then, are a step ahead of most when it comes to credentials and contacts but this may prove to be a double-edged sword. While its puts them in a position to gain quick fire exposure from their debut LP, Last Chants, it increases the pressure to perform. A dud album and the hype currently surrounding the band may be a lot harder to muster up again. So, does the music justify the fuss?
An off-kilter indie ethos underpins Last Chants and it offers some promising sounds that, unfortunately, tend to get lost under heavy layering. A lot of tracks sound cluttered when coupled with Alushaj’s often dour and monotone vocals, which can make things very frustrating. This is evident on songs like ‘Walking On Fire‘, which begins with a dreamy guitar hook that is quickly throttled to make way for complex drums and Alushaj’s high energy shouting.
The band is at their best when Alushaj takes a minor role and the rhythm section kicks in, as on the sinister ebb and flow of ‘Let It Go’ and the instrumental ‘A Break In The Light’. The LP’s last two songs, title track ‘Last Chants’ and latest single ‘Another Day’, manage to tie things together effectively. The former features intricate bongo beats and subtle guitar pickings that culminate to create stirring indie pop. The latter sees Alushaj sing more melodically to give the record its stand out track, which climaxes with some very danceable brass.
The record contains a lot of intricacies that are the product of clearly talented musicians. It’s just a shame they’re so hard to notice under layers of distortion and overwrought vocals. They get the balance right towards the end of the album and, if they can take that forward to future releases, things could get a lot more interesting - with or without the fancy dresses.