Music forged in the flames of the COVID-19 pandemic can sit in an awkward place. As some musicians surrendered to the standstill, others took to filling the void — often with one too many songs about masks and lockdowns and extremist political opinions that only aggravated us further. Art of this period runs the risk of feeling dated in a world that simply wants to move on, yet on their first of two pandemic albums, it’s clear that Beans have always gazed far ahead. The groove-driven Boots N Cats feels the frustrations that arise in isolation while moving past them, using a restrictive era to let loose and knock down creative boundaries.
As the excellent All Together Now arrived in August 2020, ironically, Melbourne’s record breaking 263-day lockdown set Beans apart. Frontman Matt Blach — who doubles as the Murlocs’ drummer — turned this roadblock into a detour, building a home studio and fulfilling his long-standing desire of creating an album centred on percussion. Though Boots N Cats was fully created by Blach, it’s not quite a solo effort — he honours his long-time bandmates by writing closely to their styles. Lachlan McKiernan’s driving organ lines remain prominent while veering from the Animals towards Booker T. & the M.G.s, and Vincent Clementson’s rolling basslines get drenched in James Brown funk. Blach’s guitar matches Jack Kong’s razor-sharp riffs, and Mitch Rice’s already propulsive drums become even more impactful. It’s a deft display of adaptation, retaining the band’s synergy and essence while expanding their palette.
Though Boots N Cats dials down the high energy in a conscious turn toward funk, the garage rock bite of Beans’ earlier albums holds steady when reflecting pandemic anxieties. The shadowy “Toxic News” tumbles in on intricate drum fills and grits its teeth at a world darkened by “insanity, toxic views and masculinity,” its heavy riff bringing an edge to seething resignation. Driven by a tense staccato rhythm, “Calling” sits directly on this edge, nervously anticipating the next reactive callout, whether founded or far-fetched. Blach’s layered, reverb-soaked vocals harken back to 2018’s fuzzy Babble, its grit polished with steady hip-hop drums and a sleek melody. Sometimes a callout is well-warranted, and album highlight “Strung Along” pulls no punches against deceitful double-crossers, its jittery riff growing in aggravation, then swelling to a massive chorus. Keeping things vague is what gives these songs their impact, finding a broader meaning beyond the times that inspired them.
Boots N Cats may feel the doom and gloom of a broken world, but it’s far from weighed down by it. With cascading arpeggios and a bouncy bassline, “Haunted” takes the nightmarish fear of failure beneath “waiting for the days that we’ll be reflecting on” and coats it with psych-pop dreaminess. Likewise, “Dreaming Daisy” falls in a placid funk groove while recounting her wayward behaviour. Between tambourine, warm organ chords and a soaring guitar solo, she comes off more as a mystical character of late ’60s nostalgia than a doomed hedonist. With this lighthearted edge, the devil on your shoulder becomes a little more silly than scary, and more easily shrugged off.
Beans have a knack for finding a balance between carefree and considered, which shines through when Boots N Cats dips into instrumentals. Skirting past the pitfalls that often befall rock bands, the four jams spread across Boots N Cats never come off as filler interludes or slapdash demos wanting for vocals. Blach’s deep dive into intricate, upbeat funk is where the album reaches its most percussive peaks, particularly on jaunty, James Brown-inspired “One to Four,” where hammering organ cuts through a myriad of drum solos. Rhythm is the focus, as evident by the stop-starts of “Kookaburra,” its jagged, fuzzy guitar and clashing rhythms driven by skilled drum work. Fellow ultra-Aussie “Siamese Blundstone” holds onto garage with a creeping bassline that adds sinister edge, then veers close to Ethio-jazz in a kaleidoscopic synth run played with frenzied intensity. Winding things down, “Casio Casino” swings with vibraphone flourishes that sparkle atop twangy guitar, then splay hypnotically over rhythmic breakdowns. Trying on new dancing shoes, Beans do more than pay tribute to the funk greats; straying their furthest musically, they retain their psych and garage idiosyncrasies.
Many Beans songs are just plain fun, and on an album that invites you to “come on baby, gotta getcha groove on” from the get-go, the rhythmic goodness of Boots N Cats makes it easy to let loose with its tightly-wound grooves. All Together Now’s sunshiney “Stride” was a welcome slice of optimism during the darkness of 2020, and despite being shaken by the pandemic, Boots N Cats makes clear that Beans haven’t lost their footing. Drumroll, please!
