DONALD BEAMAN — Fog On Mirror Glass

Mesmerizing songs and vocals make for compelling album

Fog On Mirror Glass introduces a new aesthetic amongst Donald Beaman albums. After four albums of varied full-band arrangements, this album emerged as an idea to present solo performances in conversation with full-band work. The bulk of the songs were recorded in the same place they were written: Beaman's living room. Long time bandmate and producer Kirt Lind set up a makeshift studio at Beaman's house to record the guitar parts in that same room where (and with the same guitar on which) they were written.

The natural reverb of that room became the first sonic identity of the album. From those initial guitar tracks, very spare additional guitars, keyboards, accordion, and backing vocals have been added. A few additional songs were tracked live with drummer Michael Nalin and bassist Kirt Lind. Those songs serve as a bridge, but the core identity of the album is to present the songs of Beaman, as a songwriter, unadorned and in their original form. The result is captivating.

Unfurling with measured pace, the album combines elegiac lyrics with elemental arrangements played with an almost jazz-like expressiveness, calling to mind the works of Cass McCombs and Jake Xerxes Fussell. Opener Glass Bottom Boat sets the tone, with just Beaman and his guitar – written during the final months of a decade-long stay in New York City, the song was finished upon Beaman's arrival back in California. Meanwhile the title track, long a staple in live sets, lands near the middle of the album to recalibrate the mood, featuring the ghostly guitar work of longtime collaborator Ken Lovgren. Old Universe is propelled by the brushwork of drummer Michael Nalin and the jaunty bass playing of Kirt Lind. The album ends with Beaman and his guitar on the closer Bamboo.

Now residing in Northern California, Beaman has released four albums so far: Donald Beaman (2015), Duration (2017), Open Field (2019), and Sunlight On The Platform (2021). He performs both solo and with a backing band. Beaman has shared the stage with Jonathan Richman, Sharon Van Etten, Michael Hurley, Mdou Moctar, Marisa Anderson, William Tyler, Xylouris White, Shannon Lay, Mary Lattimore, Six Organs of Admittance, and Little Wings.

Prior to his return to the west coast, as a member of The Double, Beaman was at the epicenter of the New York City music scene of the early to mid 2000s. The Double released three albums – including Loose in the Air, on Matador Records; recorded a John Peel Session for the BBC at Maida Vale Studios; and toured extensively throughout the United States and in Europe, sharing the stage with: Feist, The Black Keys, Interpol, M83, Ratatat, The Mountain Goats, The Go-Betweens, Cass McCombs, TV On The Radio, Blonde Redhead, and others.

Beaman’s fifth album, Fog On Mirror Glass, is set for release on Oakland, CA based Royal Oakie Records. For more details, including tour dates, please see below.