The Flying Beets’ guitar-led catharsis on ‘Villain’ comes loaded with melancholy, charisma, and identity. A terrific single, emotive, expressive, and enthralling.
The third single by The Flying Beets, a Fort Worth-based trio composed of frontman and guitarist Nathan Waller, backed by David Cross and Kenn Scott. In true three-piece fashion, the few players make a rumble that’s easily loud enough for bands twice their size. Courtesy of Waller’s astonishing guitar and vocal work, guitars being nostalgic, with their trebly, sunshine sound that calls surf rock to mind, and his voice working double time on the song’s frequent high-reaching yells.
A terrific display of a trio with immense musicianship, the melodies, often supported by the visceral bassline, are dark and wistful, mirroring the song’s tragic chord sequences. Regardless of that, the song is not in any way sappy, quite the opposite in fact, because of the dynamic guitar line and its lush overdrive, and its placement quite prominently in the mix, the mix feels energized and all the negative emotions are channeled in a way more upbeat fashion than they would sound -for example- in an unaccompanied acoustic guitar session.
Nathan Waller continues to prove himself a terrific songwriter and a capable singer and guitarist, backed by a capable rhythm section who support his vision rather nicely, ‘Villain’ is a sweetly engaging piece of alternative pop that sounds beautiful with its thorny guitar timbres, thoughtful composition, and soulful deliveries.
