Society of Beggars – Levitator
Society of Beggars is a Melbourne-based act who just released their latest album, Levitator, a ten-song offering full of dark and brooding rock tunes. Inspired by a period of grief due to the loss of frontman Yianni and brother Jim Michalopoulos’ father, the band holed up in Birdland Studios with over thirty (!) demos to choose from. They whittled the tracks down into the ten songs you hear on Levitator, and the deep emotions attached shine through in the final product. Here’s a little more from Yianni about what Levitator means to the band:
“When you’re feeling that manic energy that comes with grief, it can be all-consuming… Our drummer Dibi and bassist Zoë Alexa’s friendship and musical connection provided the foundation we needed to create.”
The title-track and intro to the album, “Levitator,” feels like the perfect way to kick off this album. A punctuated guitar riff pounds out crunchy chords, not unlike AC/DC (in spirit, not in sound), letting the space in-between the notes do just as much heavy lifting. Noodly guitar riffs squeal in a siren of two-note glory while the bass keeps up the rhythmic play that initially kicks the song off. Sure, this is rock ‘n roll at its finest, but the baritone vocals bring a sense of poeticism to these heavy-hitting songs, belying the crunchy and aggressive exterior that you might only glean from a first-time listen. They bust into track two, “Well of Wishes,” with the same bravado. Simple-but-effective guitar leads once again cut through the mix, working perfectly to elevate the song’s crispy, discordant rhythm guitars.
Highlights of the album include “All the Houses Have Their Lights On,” which is the first indication that this band has more in their pockets than distortion-laden, fist-pumping rock. A gentle acoustic guitar, a twinkling tambourine, and swelling synth pads bolster this guitar-forward banger, building suspense before an epic “ah-ah-ah” laden climax. They use this same approach on lead single, “God Mode.” A perpetual crescendo, “God Mode’s” shuffling drum presence beats an urgent rhythm into your brain, growing more and more epic throughout the song’s 5+ minute runtime. A plunking piano motif hammers out an eerie melody while the rest of the band grows in intensity. By the time the band hits the final payoff around the four minute mark, it feels like a massive release of pent-up energy… And it probably was.
Other (spitfire) moments for your listening consideration include the emo-tinged “Space Junk Collector,” with it’s ultra catchy chord progression and massive drum sound. Zoë gets a spotlight for a moment with the creepy, crawling bass chord intro of “Mood Rings,” which also boasts one of the catchiest lead guitar riffs on the album. “Lick” is a bona fide ballad, driven more so by piano, snare rolls, and squalls of guitar noise than anything else. “Under Strange, Strange Skies” sounds like a Pinback cut, with its rumbling tom beat and plucky guitar chugging. Even album closer “Hummingbirds” keeps things whirring along with it’s buzz saw lead synth (or guitar?) noise cutting through your speakers like a hot knife through butter.
Levitator is available now (November 27th, 2024). Check it out via Bandcamp below (and buy it if you like it!), or, add your favorite tune to your Spotify and Apple Music playlists.
Categorised in: Album Reviews
This post was written by Nick Sessanna