Night Beats are trying really hard to be outlaw cowboys dragged through a Technicolor dust storm — and, for the most part, they're convincing in their role on Myth of A Man. With blues, psychedelic rock and R&B carefully pulled together, their sound is retro but rarely dated.
The first single off the album, "Her Cold Cold Heart," is especially potent; the song topic is nothing new, but it's handled deftly and the result is intoxicating. "(Am I Just) Wasting My Time" is another lament for a disinterested lover, but the differences between the two tracks show the band's versatility, as well as their restraint in making sure the album still feels cohesive.
Between some of the standout tracks, though, the heady nostalgia can come up a little short. Part of the album is in a liminal space, where the band are perhaps overcommitted to some of the characters they've created, but don't take the extra few steps to really own the mythos — or rejection of a mythos — that they've created on a truly larger-than-life scale. The result doesn't sound bad; at worst, a few of the tracks are forgettable. But beneath the carefully roughed-up veneer, there's some depth and nuance missing.
(Heavenly)The first single off the album, "Her Cold Cold Heart," is especially potent; the song topic is nothing new, but it's handled deftly and the result is intoxicating. "(Am I Just) Wasting My Time" is another lament for a disinterested lover, but the differences between the two tracks show the band's versatility, as well as their restraint in making sure the album still feels cohesive.
Between some of the standout tracks, though, the heady nostalgia can come up a little short. Part of the album is in a liminal space, where the band are perhaps overcommitted to some of the characters they've created, but don't take the extra few steps to really own the mythos — or rejection of a mythos — that they've created on a truly larger-than-life scale. The result doesn't sound bad; at worst, a few of the tracks are forgettable. But beneath the carefully roughed-up veneer, there's some depth and nuance missing.