The local piano-pop trio On Beta got started playing together in the way that a lot of bands do, jamming for some close friends at a barbecue in 2009. Originally belonging to the five-piece band The Old Sweethearts with Roger Bryan and Erik Roesser of Roger Bryan & The Orphans, On Beta have dug deep in the last two years, honing their sound and recording their first release, There’s Blood In Your Heart, which was released on lead singer Mark Nosowicz’s label Harvestsum. It is obvious that this 11-track record was a labor of love, each song being carefully fashioned and layered with various instrumentation. Congregated around the life-blood of songwriting, the piano, the sonic structure of There’s Blood In Your Heart is pumped with charismatic drums and dilated melodies. Nosowicz wields polished, robust vocals that especially work to drive each melody. On tracks like “Sometimes It’s Gone” and “First Day of the Year” it’s impossible not to think of the chamber-pop ditties of Dr. Dog. Recurring motifs of dazzling bass work as necessary valves, providing the outlets to the harmonies, siphoning them off, and giving each track room to flex its muscle.
When all of these qualities connect, this record has some awesomely danceable moments. “The Last of Fadeaways” comes in with pleasantly stringent bass. Crisp lines like, “All I need is time, I’ll figure it out / Just like your whole life, it’s always running out,” aren’t overly inventive, but speak to the recurring notion that life should not be wasted; that there most certainly is blood in the heart and that it’s there for a reason.
“Nothing to No One” enters with MGMT styled synths and is another upbeat favorite. Soaring harmonies richen the scenery of each song. “Used to be Free” slows it down a bit. The chorus mixes with a walloping snare, “Out on our own / We waved goodbye and now we’re gone / Out on our own is where we belong.” The mood takes shape in the last minute with a collage of bells and tingling guitar. “Desert Artery” welcomes strident bass lines and experimentation on the electronic side of things, which is always nice.
It’s hard to find anything intrinsically wrong with There’s Blood In Your Heart. This isn’t a typical “As Seen on TV” type of record; it does what it says it’s going to do. It functions as a defibrillator, bringing shocks to one’s musical core. But it doesn’t always restore it to it’s normal rhythm. Each song carries its sturdy theme, while still leaving room for melodic inventiveness. But like “Cracking Up” states, On Beta is anything but “another rock and roll bore.” They have done a stunning job with this collection of songs, not cutting any corners or skipping any beats.
Also, just a reminder, On Beta will be playing buffaBLOG's 2nd Birthday Party at Nietzsche's this Saturday! Come on out!
it's an exceptional record.