Back in the spotlight after a long silence, Olympia’s legendary lo-fi garage pop trio Beat Happening has a new anthology titled Look Around. There are no new songs but it includes a tasteful, well-curated overview of some of their best well-known tracks and band favorites from their five studio albums: Beat Happening (1985), Jamboree (1988), Black Candy (1989), Dreamy (1991), and You Turn Me On (1992). It also includes the rare one-off single, “Angel Gone,” recorded in 2000. The band (they technically haven’t broken up) consists of Bret Lunsford, who shared guitar and drums duties with Heather Lewis, one of the most underrated and influential singers of all time. Heather also shared vocal duties with guitarist and provocateur Calvin Johnson. Beat Happening built a reputation, in part, not only on the strength of their deliberately peculiar and unpolished approach to music, which was amazing indeed, but also by making statements such as, “We are Beat Happening and we don’t do Nirvana covers. They do Beat Happening covers.”

RIYL: Beat Happening!

FCC CLEAN!
Recommended Tracks: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, and 23

1. (2:47) ***Our Secret – Killer mid tempo stomper with continuous riff. Classic track. Calvin sings.
2. (2:44) **Foggy Eyes – Mid tempo folk rock tune. Amusing. Heather sings.
3. (1:49) **Bad Seeds – Garage punker. Trippy echo effect. Calvin sings. Do it clean!
4. (2:00) What's Important – Mid tempo stomper. Heather sings. Guitar riff and vocal melody brings to mind Iggy Pop’s The Passenger. Cinematic.
5. (2:55) *Look Around – Mid tempo track, part acoustic, part melancholic. Calvin sings.
6. (3:05) ***Bewitched – Mid tempo rocker with garage riff. Cool vocals! Calvin sings.
7. (2:21) ***In Between – Upbeat rocker. Sick! Heather sings.
8. (3:02) ***Indian Summer – One of the greatest songs ever written. Calvin sings. Classic!!!!
9. (3:34) ***Other Side – Upbeat and beautiful. Calvin and Heather sings. One of my favorite songs from Beat Happening.
10. (2:56) *Black Candy – Medium tempo gloomy track. Calvin sings. The Cramps would be proud.
11. (2:28) **Cast A Shadow – Medium-up tempo melancholic tune. Sweet melody. Calvin sings.
12. (2:32) ***Nancy Sin – Killer upbeat rocker. Amazing guitar riff. Calvin sings. Way too cool for school. Another favorite of mine.
13. (3:28) **Knock On Any Door – Another terrific slow tempo track. Calvin sings. Memorable chorus.
14. (2:52) *Left Behind – Charming vocal-driven, medium tempo track. Heather sings. Nostalgic.
15. (2:07) Red Head Walking – Slick medium up tempo track with catchy melody. Calvin sings.
16. (3:45) **Fortune Cookie Prize – Cool guitars! Elegant and blue. Medium tempo. Heather sings.
17. (2:19) *Hot Chocolate Boy – Garage-inspired track with 1960’s surf drumbeat. Brief and chocolaty. Calvin sings.
18. (3:05) **Pinebox Derby – Part a go-go, part garage with sick guitars. Calvin sings. Cramps would be proud again.
19. (6:50) Tiger Trap – Melancholic medium tempo, part Velvet Underground, part dream pop epic guitar-driven track with absorbing effect. Calvin sings.
20. (9:25) *Godsend – Ambitious and shimmering guitar-driven song with Heather on vocals.
21. (4:34) **Teenage Caveman – Catchy upbeat rocker with nice guitars and a sad melody. Calvin sings.
22. (3:21) **Noise – Emotive and tasteful medium tempo track with nice melody. Heather sings.
23. (3:11) *Angel Gone – Medium tempo track with a country music vibe. Calvin sings. Classic Beat Happening attitude.