| Imagine a world in which the lo-fi frenzied Guided By Voices extruded all those
thirty-second songs into worthwhile longer songs. Austin's Beautiful
Supermachines may have hit close to that mark, deriving their sound from a
staple of '90s indie rock heavyweights: the thrusting guitars of Pavement and
the indulgent noodling interludes of The Pixies.
The resulting debut however isn't a lofty bow to the past, rather an
acknowledgement of what has previously worked, combining those structures and
allowing the songs to organically explore the fold, some for a jolted two
minutes ("Black Metal") while some songs crescendo at over six minutes ("Local
Honey" and "Oakland 2008").
Beautiful Supermachines songs take on languid forms dodging the drawn-out
feeling thanks to 49 year-old David Williams' terrific voice, which bows
effortlessly like Morrissey, and can bare an edge like a punk singer. Largely
structured around the indie rock trinity, a typical song will feature bass,
drums and guitar. Horns occasionally pepper the background, but never redirect
the listener's attention or smother the rhythm.
One serious achievement is "Diamonds Grow Under Pressure," which sparks from
a memorable guitar riff and then chugs into a sensational anthem, closing with a
blitz of instruments pounding away. Williams' voice is fit with reverb and his
lyrics are blatantly about love and letting go.
As a debut, Shut Up hits the right notes: it shows courageous direction, while
acknowledging its influences. The album steps into excellence territory with
strong lyrics and a cogent, inventive framework. (Chicken Ranch Records)
http://myspace.com/beautifulsupermachines | 
