Noah, the debut long player from Noah Beatz, reveals a guitarist and composer seeking his defining sound from a deep well of potential. 

Born Noah Casimir Bichsel in Switzerland, Beatz boasts a tone that places him somewhere between Mark Knopfler and Robert Cray. His album alternates vocal tracks with instrumentals that toggle between early Dire Straits and the contemplative soundscapes of 21st-century Jeremy Spencer. 

Self-referential vocal tracks “She Talks to Me” and “Know My Name” find the baritone singing of his instrument and his musical mission, respectively. “Try to be Cool,” meanwhile, finds Beatz recreating the sound and substance of “Sultans of Swing” so authentically it could pass as a Dire Straits demo. 

Beatz’s stories are best told with his axe, however, whether with the languid blues licks on “Legends in Harmony” or the patient picking that colors “Walk By,” which leaves plenty of space between well-chosen notes. And if Beatz’s respect for Spencer-era Fleetwood Mac isn’t immediately clear, he brings it into focus with an original titled “Albatros,” a clear homage, despite the spelling change. 

If this guy’s career takes off—and it should—Noah will wind up being a gee-whiz entry in his discography, the sound of a musician pre-explosion. And if it doesn’t, Noah will go down as an obscure record from an unknown guitarist who should’ve been well-known.