The Beat Advocate - The Beat Advocate EP
Record Label: Self-released
Release Date: September 23, 2010
Every once in a while, you come across a band that just unapologetically devours your attention. The University of Southern California’s upstarts The Beat Advocate are ripe with that quality. What they lack in seasoned experience, they more than make up in scathing energy and a bona fide love for music. Remember when The Roots told their listeners to “stop what you’re doin’ and set it in motion; it’s the next movement!” in 1999? There are times when you can’t help but think they weren’t just trying to hype themselves, but also a couple of college kids that would appear a decade later down the road. That might sound like high praise for a band introducing its first release, but The Beat Advocate EP is so jammed with potential, it will probably persuade you otherwise.
Case in point: “The Other Side” might be one of the most impassioned songs to be penned all year, tackling poverty and social injustice over a slick jazz sheen. “It breaks my heart, this solitary part I’ve been so blind to…I’ll take you down that road, but mama don’t you cry,” wails vocalist Lily Elise. She doesn’t just tug at your heartstrings – she yanks at them. But most of the time, The Beat Advocate pushes a much more rollicking funk sound. Equipped with a saxophonist and a keyboardist, in addition to gifted musicians manning traditional rock instruments, they pull it off with brilliant pizazz.
On “Where I’ll Be,” rapper Nate Howard lets loose over a huge club beat (“Mama told me don’t be there wantin’, these companies are Goodwill huntin’, they’ll make you move and seem like a puppet, be strong you stand for somethin’”), while “Upside Down” is pure, glossy R&B. “Type of Stereo” is a bombastic showstopper with its catchy funk vibe and rap solo. It also makes you wonder where this band might be a year from now. Today the local venues, tomorrow a household name? That can’t be too much of a stretch.
This is really, really good for a first release. They suck a little of the force out of her enormous voice though, so here's hoping they blow up and we get to hear what they sound like with major-league production.
This is really, really good for a first release. They suck a little of the force out of her enormous voice though, so here's hoping they blow up and we get to hear what they sound like with major-league production.
Yeah this would sound monstrous with major label production.
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