beaver brothers - i turned into the moon

Beaver Brothers

I Turned Into The Moon
self-released; 2013

3.9 out of 5

By Eva Cantillo

A band of five very young musicians from New Jersey brings us a mellow yet sumptuous folky and bluesy album. The sounds within their first album, I Turned Into the Moon is reminiscent of bands like Fleeting Foxes,Woods and The Microphones. The band also incorporates a playful edge as they have included recordings of them laughing and playing into several of the songs on the album. There are also more experimental and trippy recordings like the ones that are heard on the first song on the album, “Monkey Do pt. 1.” This shows the band is interesting in providing not only music but also an experience. 

The songs on the album give a soothing sound that is accentuated by either upbeat choruses or super-mellow vocals. The song “Monkey Bars” starts off with a slowed-down tempo, then starts to heighten with a faster guitar riff. The vocals clearly describe the situation of crushing on someone really hard and just the simple fact of being helplessly infatuated with that person, “I’m hanging upside down on the monkey bars… if I fall hard enough to break my neck will it be enough to get your attention?”

The song “Cramer’s Rule Dream” is super smooth and has a comfortable depth to it that can easily intrigue the listener. There is a twang of a banjo or something of the like that beats along to the pleasing melody of both the instruments and the lullaby-like vocals. There is a super ethereal breakdown later in the song with only light percussion and a simple and humble guitar riff.

The band has an effortless way of helping relieve stress and inspire creativity. For a young band that records from their home and has been playing for a relatively short amount of time, they are able to compare to established bands that share a similar sound. This band has a bright future ahead of them if they continue to condition and explore the possibilities of their sound.

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