BEST OF 2010 (songs) #16 Wavves - King Of The Beach

The move away from lo-fi scuz punk to crisp polished pop workouts on Wavves' "King Of The Beach" album was initially a little bit disconcerting and disappointing. Once expectations were adjusted, though, Nathan Williams' songwriting sensibilities won the day regardless of what fidelity they were recorded in. Even at their most lo-fi and noisiest, Wavves have always maintained a hell of an ability to craft killer hooks and melodies that couldn't be denied no matter how many layers of fuzz they were buried under. The polish on "King Of The Beach" only emphasized Williams' songwriting talent that much more. The record's titular track was one of this summer's theme songs. A breezy rock song about literally hitting the beach and ruling that motherfucker. Yes, it kind of sounded like early Weezer, but that was a good thing. "King Of The Beach," the song, and by extension the album, was a rousing simple track tailor made for sunshine and careless (mis)adventure, something we all need from time to time.