Album Review – Deep Beep: Soft Honk (2026)

The Beeps are Deep

Soft Honk is the latest from Perth/Boorloo space-psych rockers Deep Beep. Their second offering is developed, epic, and full of god-like riffage. The beeps go deep.

The 5-track album is a step up in performance and production from the moment the chugging guitars enter in Diesel & Meth. The soundscape builds as the mix introduces each instrument, none overworking but all constructing something. It has Floyd feels, but vocalist Matt Rudas has enough Perth twang to make it local, and the vibrato guitar hits are inspired in both position and tone. Listen for the bap bap vocal breakdown in the middle. This is the Deep, so the song is soaring by the end. It sounds enormous.

If you want good balance – add something catchier after the epic intro. You’ll Never Be My Baby is a good choice. It’s a post-rock pop song (sorry), not far from what Interpol were doing in the noughties, but proggier. The guitar lead line following the introductory “babys” is gorgeous. Cam Sims and Rudas’ guitar work – they got melody too, these lads.

Atlantiss is another level again, out of the depths of the ocean where prog was born. The super heavy riff that repeats throughout the song is one of the best moments on the record, getting a little bit middle period muse-y. Super catchy and the airwaves agree, with the tune getting plenty of radio play. It’s a real journey.

The epic-ness is well and truly underway by the middle, but the biggest is yet to come. For the true epic we must turn to Tell it to the Mountain. It’s about mountains (or one mountain) and runs the longest at nine and a half minutes. Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s not all prog parading, the song also has a hell of a singalong chorus – “take all your troubles, go and tell it to the mountain”. It’s another high point of the record and showcases the dynamics of the rhythm section, Josh Watkins’ drums ebbing and flowing until the ending explodes.

Braden’s Lament brings the journey to a close in a descent into sample and noise jamming madness. The secret-song like track summarises the band up well actually. A bit mad and not unwilling to play around. Not all serious-musicianmanship progressive rock, this is a bit different. It seems a reasonable summary of Deep Beep, given how much fun the album is. The name says it all.

Soft Honk was recorded at Rada Studios.

Deep Beep play live this Saturday night at Four5Nine Bar.

The band: Jerome Kennedy – Bass, Matt Rudas – vocals/guitar, Cam Sims – guitar, Andy Bartlett – Keys, Josh Watkins – drums.

Album One: Mind the Brain (2023)