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Beat Pyramid begins and ends in the middle of the same sentence, literally and figuratively, but it doesn't come across as contrived or insincere, thanks mostly to Barnett, who conveys his words in a manner that is simultaneously solemn and half-winking, as if he knows they could be totally wrong, but he's going to say them like they're all he's got left, anyway.
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These New Puritans play it smart, but in service of an earnest query rather than their own smartness.
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Beat Pyramid is an idiosyncratic, swaggering, and intellectual album, but more importantly for the listener, a damn exciting and original one too.
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These New Puritans prove the model perfected by New Order ain't dying anytime soon. {Apr 2008, p.106]
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Hypnotic repetition, mysterious soundscapes and recurring lyrical codes render this debut utterly engrossing and totally essential.
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There’s still plenty of bits on Beat Pyramid you’ll find exhilarating. But the rest of the time, you’ll find yourself wishing These New Puritans would ascend above its well-established reference points.
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Under The RadarThere's a statement being made here, but its aim is anybody's guess. [Spring 2008, p.85]
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While the die-hard These New Puritan fan might be annoyed that six of these tracks have been released before, there's enough to make it abundantly clear here is a band with a brilliant sense of invention.
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Cut adrift with its own bewildering reference points, peppered with glimpses of cryptic brilliance and slabs of deceptive nonsense, Beat Pyramid is a flawed patchwork masterpiece.
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Beat Pyramid crosses genres, sticks pins in everything it sees and manages to reference hip-hop, punk, new-wave, dubstep and everything in between. For that alone, These New Puritans should be applauded.
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Q MagazineAnyone bored by the kitchen sink will find much to love here. [Feb 2008, p.97]
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UncutBalancing staccato rhythms and itchy guitars with a neat line in woozy, trance-like synthesisers, they have an oblique lyrical bent that's all their own. [Feb 2008, p.80]
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Entertainment WeeklyAs a tribute, the album is nearly impeccable. As an original piece of artistry? Not so much. [14 Mar 2008, p.77]
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Most of their songs gallop by in a minute or two, erupting with new beats the moment they start to itch. [Apr 2008, p.83]
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Beat Pyramid proves to be an affirming and promising first step.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 16 out of 20
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Mixed: 1 out of 20
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Negative: 3 out of 20
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OmarO.Mar 28, 2008
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StevenHMar 26, 2008