Beck Zegans - Engraving of Armor (2026) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. When You Were In My Bed
02. Record Tamer
03. Love In The End Times
04. I Want You
05. Even On The Phone
06. Slither
07. Riddle Explicit
08. Woods
09. Armor (Susan's Poem)

Engraving of Armor is the solo debut of Beck Zegans, an established member of New York's indie scene with years of experience by this point both as a live sound engineer and guitarist. She'd been writing her own songs for some time but noticed her material taking on a heavier, more confrontational demeanor while holed up during COVID-19 shutdowns. When it came time to record some of these songs for her first album, she worked collaboratively with her band -- synth player/bassist Alex MacKay (Nation of Language) and drummer Julian Fader (Remember Sports, Ava Luna) -- who took turns building upon Zegans' demos (guitar and drum loops) in their individual home studios. A fourth contributor on a couple tracks was guitarist El Kempner of Palehound, one of the bands with whom Zegans plays. She sets a moody tone with the ruminative opener When You Were in My Bed, a song that begins with a drone and a melodic guitar phrase that Zegans doubles with her memories. The song eventually picks up a driving drumbeat, buzzy additional drone tone, and more, before Zegans starts to forget. A more straightforward alt-rock entry, the similarly romantically challenged Love in the End Times, still plays with texture, from varying guitar effects to spongy and organ-like keys and raw live drums. The urgent I Want You employs analog synths and layers of fuzz amidst anchoring grooves and an ominous melody as Zegans laments the urge to self-sabotage when things start getting good. More-atmospheric entries include the narcotic Slither, and Riddle, which warps its synthy palette with vocal effects and echo. The latter is one of the songs that features guitar interjections by Kempner; they are more conspicuous on Woods, a trippy, angular highlight that periodically passes through dense clusters of guitars. Throughout, Zegans and her band articulate emotion with sonics at least as much as with lyrics, resulting in an absorbing debut.