Christian Beach, a longtime fixture of the New Jersey music scene, released a 4-song EP, Direct and Free, on March 18, 2022. The EP is available for streaming/download at ChristianBeach.net.
Direct and Free marks Beach’s first release of completely new material since 2020’s DoubleLife EP. Basement Noise, an album consisting mostly of demos of unreleased material recorded between 2009 and 2019, was released in January 2021. A studio version of the song “Paper Ships,” which dates back to 2009 and appeared in the form of a live version on Basement Noise, was released as a standalone single last year.
Beach has also released a lyrics visualizer video to accompany the track "Clean Livin'," which closes out the EP.
“I embraced synthetic textures with my folk tendencies to create a small body of work inspired by unconscious thought and emotions, and how we relate to each other on a human level,” said Beach about the EP. “The underdog, poverty, addiction, love, maturity, and the desire to be understood play prominent roles in these songs.”
Direct and Free EP Artwork (photo by Christian Beach; design by Brian Kelley). The video was produced and edited by Brian Kelley. Stock video footage courtesy of Videezy.com.
Christian Beach is a New Jersey-based singer-songwriter who has been part of the tri-state-area music scene since the late 1980s. As the driving force behind several bands (Slave of Id, Artists That Kill, Ton of Bricks) from the early 1990s through early 2000s, he played some of New Jersey’s legendary clubs like the Green Parrot, The Stone Pony, The Brighton Bar, and The Fast Lane. In 2005, Beach spent time playing keyboards and guitar for Michael Ferentino’s (Love In Reverse, Dog) band Transfusion M, appearing on its lone 2005 album and accompanying the group for a leg of the 2006 Vans Warped Tour. Upon his return from the road, Beach branched out on his own as a singer-songwriter inspired by American roots and folk music, and heavily influenced by Bob Dylan, Hank Williams Sr., The Band, and more contemporary artists like Jeff Tweedy. Beach’s first solo album, Christian Beach, was released in 2009. Music journalist Gary Wien ranked it as one of the top 100 albums by New Jersey artists between 2001 and 2010, with its lead track “Open Spaces” in the No. 77 slot among the top 100 songs by New Jersey artists in that same span.
Direct and Free Tracklist and Credits:
1) “Someone Else’s Dream” (2:45)
2) “Richard Bandler” (3:49)
3) “Mystery of Love” (4:01)
4) “Clean Livin’” (4:04)
All tracks performed, recorded by Christian Beach. Additional guitar and atmospherics on tracks 3 and 4 by Michael Scotto. Track 1, 3 and 4 engineered, mixed and mastered by Nick Semanchik at Lakehouse Recording Studios, Asbury Park, N.J. Track 2 mixed by Christian Beach and mastered by Exonic UK AI mastering application.
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