Sweet Tough Alien – BeaVoys (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

In the past, Alan James, the man behind the BeaVoys moniker, wandered between duties as musician and composer, occasionally (recent singles) being sonically more front and centre, usually acting more as writer, composer, and arranger. Sweet Tough Alien, his latest EP, is the first where he is found performing directly on every track – electric guitar parts, some backing vocals, shakers… and so great are the results, you have to wonder why he hasn’t taken such an immersive approach before.

As usual, there is a theme that connects all of the songs, sometimes obvious, other times more subtly embedded. “Born from stardust,” the opening line of the title track, gives us a hint at the cosmic exploration that runs through them. As 60’s infused psych-folk sounds ring out, deftly spiralling guitars, driven beats, and sibilant percussion, James explores the idea that we are indeed made of interstellar matter, we are the stuff of stars, universal children, that whilst humans may have evolved on earth, our story began further back. Isn’t it natural, therefore, that we should feel connected to a more universal ideal?

“Lone Lion” further builds on the connection with larger, elemental, and natural forces, blending a lyrical touch with the mythologies and folktales of cultures still in touch with the earth (rather than the more modern ones actively seeking to reshape the planet in their own image). It is a pastel-pop piece that effortlessly blends innocence and depth.

The focus shifts with “Sleepod,” lyrically open about its journey through the stars, an intimate and delicate song, a sonic echo of the past perhaps, but also a song that doesn’t feel too far out of step with today’s more adventurous indie-folk. There is a duality at work here. Is this a tale of humans on their way to the deepest reaches of space, or of what may have instigated our existence in the first place? Isn’t it all cyclical anyway? Aren’t we just a small part of a fantastic voyage too big for us to understand?

Lyrically, we have encountered “Waters Scholars” before, but here it gets a sonic makeover. Like the previous song, exploring the idea that the intelligence of the universe flows like tides through space and time, now employing a musical vehicle that blends gentle brass sounds and liquid electronica, call-and-response harmonies, and spoken word utterances into a Randy Newman-esque soundscape.

On the surface, Alan James makes intriguing music that evokes the heady days of the Summer of Love. But it is the message that those tunes carry which is the real treasure here. Rarely has so accessible and infectious music dealt with such significant issues, ones that wander through philosophical, scientific, and anthropological realms so effortlessly.

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