THE BEACHES – Blame My Ex (2024 FACTOR)

By now, everyone has heard the anthem “Blame Brett”, a song named for Jordan Miller’s ex, Brett Emmons of the Glorious Sons.   While we don’t have Brett’s side of the story, from Jordan’s POV, the relationship is to blame for the following “wild” phase.  “So sorry in advance, before you take off you pants, I wouldn’t let me near your friends, I wouldn’t let me near your dad.”  This exceptional single has been an earworm all year, and the band are now reaping the rewards with international touring and an appearance on Kimmel.  “Don’t blame me, blame Brett!” has become a rally cry.

“What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Paranoid” boasts a strong chorus, wicked fuzzy guitars and delectable melodies served on a plate of a great beat and fun lyrics.  “I think I’m becoming a conspiracy theorist…everyone says that love exists, but I think that it’s a myth.”  A great song that screams hit potential.

“Me & Me” plays with tempo, and goes for the accelerator with an 80s sound, and great shouted backing vocals.  One of the strengths of this band is the vocalizing by the band, making it a party atmosphere.  The party continues with “Everything is Boring” and its “ah, ah” vocals.  “Doctor please, just pill me,” sings Jordan Miller to the ADD generation.  The pace slows down on “My Body Ft. Your Lips”, a playful title.  This is a duet with an American band called Beach Weather, and the female/male vocal lines work really well.  Though it takes a minute to catch, this is a great soft, slow burner.

“Kismet” has a speak-sing style on the verses, before the chorus bursts out in exuberant upbeat excitement.  The choruses are great, with a disco flavour and a quick beat, but the verses take some getting used to.  Moving on, “Shower Beer” is a great title.  You may have heard of the concept of drinking a beer in the shower.  “I’ve got fear of missing out, I wanna get drunk and sit up, I need to be talked about,” sings Jordan Miller.

“Edge of the Earth” has proven to be a success for the band, and you can hear why.  This ballad with a beat has passionate vocals, amazing melodies and harmonies, and the right vibe for a summer cruising hit.  That’s followed by a mid-tempo number with acoustic undertones called “If A Tree Falls”, which has nothing to do with the Bruce Cockburn song of the same name.  This is a really pretty pop rocker with a nice little guitar solo that is played for vibe.  The album goes back to high-speed pop rock on the closer “Cigarette”.  “I wanna be your cigarette,” squeals Jordan Miller, on one of the album’s most fun tunes.

Here’s the big problem with this CD.  Two, in fact:

1. Difficulty to purchase.  The only way I could get this CD was at a show (sold out) or on their website ($15 shipping).
2. No booklet, no credits, no nothing.  Only the song titles are listed on the back, not even the band members!

This album should be in every store.  It’s a hit waiting to happen.

4.5/5 stars