Album Review: "Beta" by Peter Cat Recording Co.

It’s been a long wait for PCRC fans looking forward to their next album after the incredibly celebratory and soulful Bismillah. Based on singles like “People Never Change” and “Suddenly,” I was expecting an exceptionally poppier, grandiose, multicultural melting pot that would take the PCRC sound into a more personal yet still punchy sonic territory.

Upon release, I was surprised by just how intimate this album ended up feeling. “I Deny Me” is clearly the gem in the middle of this album’s crown, with Dhruv Bhola being a perfect fit vocally for this beautiful track about expressions of love, proclamations of it, and longing.

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It’s a clear sonic departure from the punchiness of earlier albums, traded for a folkier, psychedelic indie-soft rock sound that would be perfect for intimate sit-down performances. There are parts of the album that jut out, full of noise and dancey funk-disco tonalities, such as “Black and White.” The genre-blending instrumentation really sounds like a matured band, happy with their own take on experimenting with their uncharacterizable vibe.

The album also benefits from more contemplative and personal songwriting on tracks like “Flowers R. Blooming” and “People Never Change,” which deal with societal themes—what it constitutes and where it seems to be heading. Conceptually, the album seems to be looking into the future while trying to gain an understanding of the present and past, valuing them through that lens. “Suddenly” is so wholesome, and the instrumentation helps it feel both larger-than-life and yet still deeply personal.

I do feel that the second half kind of jitters away from view, with a few tracks like “Control Room” getting lost in the mix, but that’s something I’d attribute to smoothing out upon further re-listens. I’m also not exactly a fan of the indie pop sound in “Foolmuse.” I wish the album was a little noisier and grander, like their previous releases, but change is good, and this seems like a much more mature sound, so I’m not really complaining. As a PCRC fan, I’m pretty content with this album.

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It’s an 8/10.

Written by Rohan Mehta

Personal Favorites: "I Deny Me," "People Never Change," "Connexion," "Suddenly," "Flowers R. Blooming"

Least Favorites: "Foolmuse," "Control Room"