After Black City it seemed impossible to me that Matthew Dear will write another album which is _that_ good. This is the reason why I think Beams is a huge surprise and in some ways even better than Black City. A colorful variety of tracks which sometimes remind me Talking Heads and David Bowie - oh, and Dear has become a truly great singer.Don't expect instant satisfaction though. Beams is a classic slow burner highly demanding your precious time and attention, but after a while it shows its beauty completely. I wonder what is coming next.