Menace Beach - Blue Eye

‘Ratworld’, the debut album from Leeds troupe Menace Beach, is a snarling, vicious affair, an unhinged antidote to any early 2015 lull. It’s sparing in moments of reflection, for the most part, but ‘Blue Eye’ is a precious example of just how far Ryan Needham and Liza Violet’s songwriting. On a record that showcases nothing but hooks, it’s only here that things give way to a different routine, one that pushes the group’s fuzzy industrial charge into higher climes.

The track plays out like an extension from Sofia Coppolla’s ‘Lost in Translation’ soundtrack, searing guitar notes stretching beyond borders, backed by bright city lights and endless possibility. Violet’s voice is the only constant in a sea of noise, harsh tones struggling to get their moment in the spotlight. Beasts belong in these surroundings, but they’re tamed to merge within a gorgeous wash. Similar to Hookworms’ ability of spinning beauty out of chaos, Menace Beach seem to have a brilliant ability of knowing when to stir and strain foundations.