The second single from Peterborough’s Beat Me Outta Me is a pleasingly downbeat affair. It’s first two minutes comprises slow, acoustic strums and a mournful vocal, drawing the ear very casually. The music isn’t exactly minimalist, but has certainly been arranged in such a way that the listener is made to focus almost exclusively on Annie Dickson’s fantastic voice. This is a smart move; from the outset, she shows an ability to weave a fantastic, almost mournful tone that suits the arrangement perfectly.

The music builds to introduce a slightly more prominent organ, and very occasionally, the droning sounds recall Pink Floyd circa ‘A Saucerful of Secrets’. Bringing in the drums at a later stage is very effective, since it provides an extra punch at the point where things could be in danger of repeating themselves. The melody that slowly emerges here will feel instantly familiar to a lot of listeners, given its 90s alternative vibes, and more specifically its very strong callbacks to Radiohead circa ‘The Bends’. The ghosts of tracks like ‘Nice Dream’ and ‘Black Star’ colour the sound. Finally, bringing in a more prominent guitar for a pleasingly heavy riff, the band show off how well they can add a tougher edge, without losing sight of the almost psychedelic flow. Topped with a flawless lead guitar break, these four minutes are arranged in such a way the track plays in a genuinely epic way, offering something new with each passing phase, allowing Beat Me Outta Me to explore an almost cinematic arrangement without resorting to the needless grandiosity often displayed by similar sounding, arty bands.

This is a complete contrast to their previous single – the superbly crashy ‘Mascara’, which owed a little more to the wonderful Venus Grrrls. It brings a more mature feel to the band’s work, and definitely gives more of a feeling that this is an act to watch out for in future. Within a crowded rock scene, Beat Me Outta Me have the potential to stand out. Make it past their flippant sounding bandname (inspired by a lyric from Nirvana’s ‘Aneurysm’) and you’ll find greatness.

Check out the track below.