EP REVIEW: ‘Nothing’ by Beaumont 

With the likes of Moose Blood and Creeper gaining momentum at a rate of knots, the sea change affecting British rock seems to be shifting towards something a bit more raw and earthy, rather than the prim-and-proper nice-guy image of the past few years. On their debut EP Nothing, Digbeth newcomers Beaumont have fully embraced the influence of the former in their pathos-stuffed but supremely melodic alt-rock, and it really pays off – this is one of the best slices of the genre to emerge in some time.

For such a new band, it’s honestly staggering how Beaumont have crafted such a finalised sound for themselves. It can be traced back to modern emo with its ever-so-slightly grunge-tinged guitars, but with a shot of melody and vigour that Britrock brims with. Couple that with Spencer Edmonds’ pleasantly unrefined vocals, and it becomes an EP that compensates for a lack of flash with buckets of substance. The guitar work on Boys And Girls carries a weight in its chorus that’s bound to go down a storm live, while Cheapside‘s chorus pops with the addition of handclaps, and E Street draws on late-period Deaf Havana in both its wistful sentiment and cleverly woven Bruce Springsteen references (plus that refrain of “If I was born to run / Then what am I running from?” can be truly heartbreaking when it wants to be).

They’re only little touches, but set Beaumont apart in a way that truly feels genuine. Emotional leanings aren’t exactly an uncommon occurrence in British rock, but whereas it can sometimes drift towards being uncomfortably maudlin, there’s an earthiness and blue-collar shine to Beaumont that ensures that’s never the case. The vocal lines of Art School are full of shirt-tugging sentiment, occasionally even sounding panic-stricken, and E Street makes itself well and truly known with its driving, impassioned chorus.

The crux of Nothing‘s sound is this ability to factor in such a heaviness of emotion, and especially for a debut EP, Beaumont have done a killer job. And with a sound as fully-recognised as this and a clear ability to write some massive songs, the distances that Beaumont could hit in the future are hugely exciting to say the least.

8/10

For fans of: Moose Blood, Deaf Havana, Light You Up
Words by Luke Nuttall

‘Nothing’ by Beaumont is released on 2nd May on Reclaim Music.