Ever listen to Beach Slang while pretending to be Huey Lewis in his cameo from Back to the Future and said to no one in particular, “Beach Slang, I’m afraid you’re just to darn loud”? Well, you may be in a very specific kind of luck, because Beach Slang have a new album coming out as Quiet Slang and…no, no, excuse me, this doesn’t feel right…
Ahhh, much better. It feels so nice to just whisper.
Anyway: yes, Beach Slang are releasing an album as Quiet Slang, their chamber pop alter-ego of sorts. Out later this month via Polyvinyl, Everything Matters But No One Is Listening is Beach Slang completely re-contextualized.
Made up of 10 Beach Slang “covers,” the album strips its source material of its hallmark, “we might die if we don’t give this song everything we’ve got” urgency. Instead, as the name Quiet Slang might imply, Everything Matters But No One Is Listening takes things down a more subdued and reflective avenue, as “traditional rock and roll instruments” guitar, bass, and drums are completely cast out.
Scaling back the instrumentation — at least in terms of fuzzed out energy — allows the passion and emotion in James Alex’s vocals to somehow come out even more, as he whisper-yells his way through an album backed only by piano and cello, respectively the most passionate and emotional instruments on the face of the earth.
Everything Matters But No One Is Listening, the debut from Quiet Slang — which is just Beach Slang but quiet, playing covers of Beach Slang, which is just Quiet Slang but loud — is out May 18. Pre-order it from Polyvinyl here and check out the album’s tracklist, along with the video for “Dirty Cigarettes” and Quiet Slang’s upcoming tour dates, down there. And remember: Shhhhhhhhhhhh.
Everything Matters But No One Is Listening tracklist:
01. Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas
02. Noisy Heaven
03. Future Mixtape For The Art Kids
04. Filthy Luck
05. Dirty Cigarettes
06. Too Late To Die Young
07. Spin The Dial
08. Young Hearts
09. Throwaways
10. Warpaint
Quiet Slang tour dates
05.16.18 – Brooklyn, NY – Rough Trade
05.17.18 – Allston, MA – Great Scott
05.18.18 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
05.19.18 – Washington, DC – Rock & Roll Hotel
06.11.18 – Toronto, ON – Drake Hotel
06.12.18 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
06.14.18 – Milwaukee, WI – The Back Room at Colectivo Coffee
06.15.18 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
06.16.18 – Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern
06.18.18 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall
06.21.18 – Seattle, WA – Barboza
06.22.18 – Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret
06.23.18 – Portland, OR – Bunk Bar
06.25.18 – San Francisco, CA – Café Du Nord
06.26.18 – Los Angeles, CA – The Moroccan Lounge
06.27.18 – Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room
06.29.18 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
06.30.18 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar
07.02.18 – Austin, TX – Barracuda
07.03.18 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada
07.05.18 – Nashville, TN – The High Watt
07.06.18 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
07.07.18 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle Back Room
07.08.18 – Richmond, VA – Chilton House
More about: Beach Slang, Quiet Slang
