It could be said that there are probably too many reissues. Anniversary editions of records that aren’t even out of print. Albums that are never out of print. Beauty Pill’s Blue Period collection however, is not one of those releases. This one is Essential with a capital E. Pairing together the timeless classic that is The Unsustainable Lifestyle LP and the You Are Right To Be Afraid EP on vinyl for the first time ever, this is the one we’ve all been waiting for. We all know the narrative that critics were less than thrilled with the record upon release, which is a great reminder that opinions are like assholes, every one has one and sometimes they stink. The Unsustainable Lifestyle is a profound album, both in its sonic vision as it restructures art-rock, and in the lyrics, an exploration of hard times under hard circumstances. Its impeccable from start to finish, the type of record that feels as radiant now as it did nearly two decades ago.
Blue Period expands the picture with unreleased b-sides including “Fugue State Companion,” a song that topples with a reckless rhythmic intro before gliding into the blissful melodic pocket that Chad Clark has perfected and “I Don’t Live Today,” a Jimi Hendrix cover recorded during the Unsustainable Lifestyle era. Beauty Pill pay homage to the original with an intent on minimalism. Chad Clark notes they decided to experiment with Moog filters and the result pulls the guitars away from the frontline, leaving the clattering of ping-ponging drums (seriously, listen to this with headphones on).