BruteHeart “Brass Beads” Review

It has been a good year for Minnesota music. Several recent local releases have garnered a fair share of national attention, and even if one of them is the talent-deficit Owl City, it is still cause for celebration. The band I am celebrating the most though is not even a blip on the national consciousness. They are still unsigned, play free shows, and have yet to even blow up on the local scene. But once their debut record, Brass Beads, starts getting around, I am convinced that it is only a matter of time before BruteHeart will start attracting fans like a Robert Pattinson sighting.

Consisting of Crystal Myslajek on bass, Jackie Beckey on viola, and Crystal Brinkman on drums, BruteHeart play jazzy, brooding pop music. Where they lack a guitar they fill the space with Myslajek’s pounding bass and Beckey’s intricate viola work—whether she’s plucking the strings or sawing at them like a mad gypsy. Brikman’s drumming brings slightly tribal feel to the mix, underlining the shadowy tunes with a controlled tempestuousness. Myslajek and Beckey trade off vocal duties, the former whispering out the lyrics with the detached dispassion of Grace Slick (that’s “White Rabbit” Grace Slick not “We Built This City” Grace Slick) and the latter howling like a banshee. It all comes together quite well into music that is equal parts avant-garde, “girl group,” and raw-edged Roma burlesque.

For an independent release, the sound on Brass Beads is remarkably full, if a little on the low-fi end. The collection of nine tracks starts with “Demons,” a heavy descent through discordant viola and vocal harmonies. The song changes time signature midway through with Brinkman’s rhythms taking a quicker, more ominous tone shortly before fading to the song’s original cadence. The lyricism is opaque and difficult to decipher—sounding more like an occult chant than a straightforward song. The album’s opus (and possibly the best locally produced track I have heard all year) is no easier to decipher. “Scritch Scratch” is anchored by some really fine viola work by Beckey, and incongruous melodies that on the whole are absolutely beautiful. Myslajek and Beckey’s vocals are almost unintelligible but have a wild rawness to them that makes comprehension seem unnecessary. Other standouts on what amounts to be an extremely strong record are “Talebearer” with its unhinged vocals and military cadence, “Sharp Teeth” with its Gypsy viola, and the slow and sensuous “Blooming Trees.” The record closes with “She Waits,” a psychedelic ramble through complex bass lines and unearthly singing. Halfway through Waits morphs into a lethargic surfadellic cum Eastern European (is that a genre?) dance, closing out Beads with flourish.

Currently the only way to get your hands on a copy of Brass Beads is by attending one of BruteHeart’s shows and getting one directly from the source (they are available in vinyl pressings with lovely sleeve art). I highly encourage you to attend an upcoming show and pick up what is undoubtedly one of the finest local releases this year.

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Also: BruteHeart & the Chain @ Hexagon Bar