Heavenly Beat-Messiah

The guys of Beach Fossils always seem to be making buzz for themselves whether it’s with their trademark beachy sounds or with the solo projects of some of their members. I’ve featured guitarist Cole Smith’s psychadelic/ new wave creation, DIIV on the blog a few times before but this time it’s all about their bassist John Pena. John makes music under the alias Heavenly Beat and after releasing the 7” dreamy wonders that are Sunday and Faithless he’s back with a debut album. “Messiah” is the first single from the forthcoming LP Talent, due out via Captured Tracks on July 24th. This track has that same mellowed vibe found on most of Beach Fossils work but even still it’s a far cry from sounding too much like the band, which can be a problem that a fair amount of solo projects encounter. Right from the start it kicks off with pulsating electronics and then coasts into a dream pop wonderland provided by a lush synths, melliflous guitar riffs, and Pena’s soothing vocal melodies. For some reason it reminds me of something you’d hear while models walk down the catwalk but only if that catwalk was on the beach and the song was more chilled out. I hope that makes sense. Regardless, Heavenly Beat has certainly landed on my radar and I’ll be marking my calendar as I anxiously await July 24th. Recommended for fans of Noble Oak, Beach Fossils, and Spanish Prisoners.