Toronto’s Beta Trip Drops Debut LP ‘Superette’ — Britpop Cool with Lush, Dreamy Melodies
Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist Beta Trip (aka Steve Lewin) releases his debut album Superette on September 26 via Having Fun Records, the rock imprint of We Are Busy Bodies. Following a pair of early singles that introduced listeners to the project’s melodic depth and emotional scope, Superette arrives as a fully realized statement—bridging Britpop textures, alt-rock drive, and introspective storytelling. Entirely written, performed, and produced by Lewin, the album feels both intimate and expansive, with layered guitars, emotional grit, and a clarity of craft that reflects years of global touring and personal recalibration.
Across its ten tracks, Superette explores growth, perspective, and the quiet tension between vulnerability and resolve. Standout single “What I Need” captures this balance with sharp focus. “You don’t know what I need, you don’t know what I’ve seen” leads the chorus of this introspective piece that aims to highlight understanding through perspective and the pursuit of being true to oneself,” says Lewin. It’s one of the album’s most personal tracks, threading honesty and restraint through a rising, cathartic arrangement that echoes the sonic palette of Radiohead and the lyrical immediacy of Nada Surf.
Earlier singles “Juliet” and “On My Mind” helped establish the album’s creative center. “Juliet” landed June 13 and quickly gained traction at CBC Radio 1 and 3, Portland’s XRAY FM, Calgary’s X92.9, and is currently in rotation on SiriusXM’s The Verge. Its chiming guitars and harmony-forward chorus introduced Lewin’s new moniker with polish and urgency. Follow-up “On My Mind,” released July 25, offered a more spacious and reflective side of Beta Trip. Originally written as an acoustic piece, it expands into a dynamic slow burn, described by Lewin as the sonic benchmark for the record: a moment where tone, theme, and vision fully aligned.
From its cinematic swells to its raw, guitar-driven turns, Superette offers a compact but emotionally varied listening experience. The album title, taken from small independently run corner stores, reflects the spirit of the release: a curated mix of essentials full of personality and purpose. With touchpoints including Elbow, Pearl Jam, and Teenage Fanclub, the record honors its influences without getting lost in them. Lewin’s production favors warmth and clarity, and each track serves the larger mood of reflection and forward motion.
Superette is a debut in name but not in experience. After a string of independent EPs and years of international performance, Lewin returns with a sharpened identity and a cohesive body of work that reclaims his roots while pushing outward. Beta Trip is both a fresh chapter and a full-circle arrival, and with Superette, the Toronto artist has crafted a compelling introduction that resonates well beyond its runtime.
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