Hong Kong-based project Besides craft a dreamily inviting rock and alt-pop cohesion on new EP Breakfast. Led by musician David McGinty, Besides has expanded from an initial side project into a more full-fledged offering — featuring musicians from locations like Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Following an acclaimed album in 2023 with The Empty Air, Besides impresses again with Breakfast.
Smooth guitars and a lush downtempo rhythmic accompaniment build seamlessly within the EP’s opening title track. Mellow vocals and rainy-day piano infusions arrive quickly thereafter. Lyrical ruminations on fears of loneliness, and an ongoing sense of “searching for,” true connection, traverse with a strongly emotive impact. Hazier, shoegaze-forward guitars emanate throughout the ensuing “Chocolate,” where introductory vocals ask “was it my hands? was it in yours?” into a bass-led intrigue. Soaring guitar lines complement a “things are better than before,” vocal acknowledgement, effectively pairing lyrical optimism with delectably radiant guitar twangs.
The second half of Breakfast continues the project’s knack for strong songwriting. “Observations” incorporates a jazzy rhythmic panting amidst dreamy guitar glistening, dazzling in the final minute with jangling adornments. EP finale “Lemonade” opts to emphasize atmospheric keys instead of the preceding tracks’ more guitar focus — immersing in its introspective lyricism and serene soundscape. Breakfast is a blissfully melodic success of an EP from Besides.
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“Breakfast” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
