Beaumont

Reviews

This Is Beaumont (CD) Siesta
Siesta have a talent for drawing this sort of highly polished yet quirky pop from previously "normal" musicians. The label spent much of 1999 releasing concept curiosities from Louis Phillipe, Simon Turner, and various members of the Monochrome Set. Now they have now done the same with Paul Stewart and Keith Girdler of Sarah stalwarts Blueboy, in the form of cocktail pop act Beaumont. Having previously recorded for Siesta as Arabesque, this time the duo take it one kitsch step further, with Keith singing classy pop tunes in the style of an easy listening balladeer, and Paul providing the accompanying latin rhythms and a flourish of Spanish guitar. Once the mute trumpets and chanting female vocals have been added it's a highly potent mix, though never bettering the opening song Bacharach, which sits on an unlikely throne somewhere between the King of Luxembourg and the Gypsy Kings.