Beacon

Last year, when Beacon released a pair of EPs, many critics were ready to write them off as the latest in the bubbling sea of hipster R&B clones. But on their first full-length, The Ways We Separate, the Brooklyn, NY duo have demonstrated a notable amount of stylistic (and artistic) growth. Still sounding stunningly similar to shit-hot Canadian/Danish duo Rhye (both have male vocalists who sound remarkably similar to Sade), Beacon have absorbed this of-the-moment genre wholly into their art, leaving the listener with ten songs that feel naturally more definitive and classic. Taking cues from '90s dub and trip-hop, Beacon work from beds of muffled, popping drumbeats and slow-mo synth-lines. The melodies on "Between the Waves" and "Anthem" are gentle and fluffy, without coming across as drawn-out or mislaid. On The Ways We Separate, Beacon manage to craft one of the most compelling and authentic-sounding albums of the year, and all it took was the courage to cool it with the R&B part.