A Beacon School is the dream pop project of New York-based songwriter and multi instrumentalist Patrick J. Smith. The songs on releases such as his full-length debut, Cola, alternate between uptempo, jangly pop nuggets and lush shoegaze.
Smith began making music as A Beacon School in 2009. A home-recorded demo single was released in 2011, and a self-titled EP by a full-band lineup appeared near the end of 2012. The group played several shows in New York City and Connecticut, and worked on a full-length. Smith played with bands such as Modern Rivals and Bluffing, additionally working with Parquet Courts' Max Savage as part of Maxband.
In 2018, A Beacon School's Cola was released by Grind Select. After receiving positive press and slowly gaining a worldwide following, an expanded vinyl edition of Cola was released in 2019 in conjunction with Fat Possum’s ‘House Arrest’ imprint, amassing over 50 million streams.
New single “Dot” marks the first A Beacon School release in three years and coincides with a headlining performance at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn, signaling a long-awaited new full-length is on the horizon.
Press
Post-Trash Cola Album Review
"The chitter chatter of instruments is like eavesdropping on a conversation: the back and forth of guitar lines intertwined with raging bass lines and upbeat drums feel like the inner mechanisms of Smith’s factory-like mind. All the parts work in conjunction to create beautiful moments"
Unheard Gems A Beacon School Has Us Dreaming With “Dot”
"Hypnotic beats combined with calming vocals make for a track that takes you to a feeling of bliss and ecstasy"
The FADER "Algernon", An Indulgent Acceptance Of Relaxation
"Smith adds layers of soothing guitars and vocals with ease, reaching a build-up that feels natural, without ever fully peaking"
PopMatters A Beacon School Shares "Fade In Nylon"
"Densely layered guitar and vocal work imbue the project's dreamy, soothing sound with a strong sense of early 2010s nugaze"
KCRW Track Premiere: A Beacon School “It’s Late”
"Like all the best music, my interest has been based on intuition mostly. The lyrical guitars, rhythmic patterns, and hushed vocals are well arranged and composed. Definitely in my wheelhouse (Jason Bentley quote)"
Impose Week In Pop: A Beacon School
"The result is a walk through a world of self-styled & well-tailored ambiance where everything from chord loops & atmospheres will fill the senses with delight vagaries that are hard to conventionally define & describe"
Kid With A Vinyl A Beacon School - Dot
"There’s a beautiful, deep, cinematic quality to “Dot” that makes it perhaps more akin to a performance art piece rather than song (as is the case with much of A Beacon School’s discography). At just under five and a half minutes, Smith effortlessly creates a stunning, multi-layered daydream-like narrative, opening with stark, sharp synth that alludes to this aforementioned sense of oscillation, painting on stable percussion and guitar plucks with careful, meticulous hands"
