2025 Number 7: Spock's Beard

Gemma's Top Ten Albums of 2025

Number 7: Spock's Beard - The Archaeoptimist

I have to be honest, I was very surprised to hear from Ryo Okumoto that Spock’s Beard was still an ongoing concern. Nobody wants to admit it 25 years into their Post-Neal period, but the harsh truth is that the band have always struggled without their most talented member. And after that one time they did make a bona fide Post-Neal masterpiece in X, another big lineup change threw everything into disarray all over again. The fact is, I’ve never vibed with any of their albums in their Ted Leonard line-up, and so many years after the underwhelming Noise Floor I expected we’d seen the last of the once-mighty Beard. All its members are happily working on solo albums and other projects such as Pattern-Seeking Animals, so is there anyone who was really clamouring for a return of the Beard?

Well, not only are they back, they’re back with a fantasitc album, surely their best one post-Neal along with X. Whereas the MVPs on previous albums were Dave Meros and his writing buddy John Boegehold, this time around it’s Ryo who pulls most of the compository weight along with new “shadow member” Michael Whiteman, of I Am The Manic Whale fame. Ryo was always the band’s jester, mostly writing instrumental novelty tracks, and I wasn’t a huge fan of his latest solo album, but he’s really pulled it out of the bag with this one.

The album is full of nods to classic Beard, but it feels earned. The anarchy, unexcpected twists and pure joy of playing that so characterized the band in their heyday is back again, stronger than it’s ever been before. There’s the tunes to carry it all, too, with the titular epic a very strong centerpiece that gives an otherwise lightweight album some needed gravitas. The influence of Whiteman also gives this very American band a certain sense of British thoughtfulness that works unexpecteldy well for them.

There are still questions around the future of the Beard. Especially listening to the last song, which speaks about bowing out with grace and moving on, sort of alluding to the possibility that the end of Spock’s Beard might be near after all. Damn, now I don’t want them to stop anymore. But if this is it, they picked a high note to go out on. Ryo is Rock ‘n Roll!