To quote Bethany Cosentino's arch-nemesis Carles, "Best Coast is a fuzzy buzzy band that sings abt dank, California, boys, and kitty cats," which for better or worse sums up the band pretty well. Of course that summation also misses out on the nuances of the band, like how they perfectly combine Patsy Cline like vocals with 90s rrriot girl guitar rock and beach pop sensibilities, or how Bethany's seemingly simplistic lyrics hit closer to home than a knotty wordsmith like Joanna Newsom, or how no other album ruled the summer of 2010 like Best Coast's "Crazy For You." I think I listened to this record at least three times a day throughout the summer, and given the chance I'll do it again next summer. Full review here.
Bethany Cosentino became one of the closest things indie culture had this year to an internet celebrity, in part because of the hype surrounding Best Coast, in part because of the somewhat hilarious feud between her and Hipster Runoff, in part because of her propensity to write songs for Target and Converse, in part because of her propensity to typify a stereotypical southern California girl who really likes to dank, and in part because she dates another quasi-internet celebrity from southern California named Nathan Williams who also likes to smoke dank and make music. Lost in all of this is that Bethany is an insanely talented songwriter who crafts simple, but potent, jangle-pop songs. "Goodbye" is an instant classic heartbreak song delivered with equal measures of wit and sincerity. There are so many great lyrics in this one song, including my favorite; "I lost my job, I miss my mom, I wish my cat could talk" that it almost seems unfair to other songwriters that Bethany is this good. Once she gets to the chorus though, and the production shifts from light to heavy and dark, you get the sense that "Goodbye" isn't all shits and giggles. There is real hurt and heartache at the center of "Goodbye" that will have you crying in your drink, even as you crack a smile during its grin inducing verses.
There has been a steadily growing buzz surrounding Best Coast's debut album "Crazy For You" that began months ago with the release of the band's early eps and singles. Now, it's my opinion that too much blogger buzz is usually a harbinger of bad things to come. More often than not decent, but not great, bands like Girls, are overhyped to the point that their decent, but not great, album ends up ultimately being a let down. Even worse, absolutely shitty bands like Neon Indian are crowned musical saviours. I can't tell you how many times I tried to listen to "Psychic Chasms" wondering what it was I was missing before realizing that blog buzz is, more often than not, a self-perpetuating bullshit machine. I would go so far as to argue that there is an indirect proportion between the quality of a band, and/or record, and the amount of pre-release buzz they receive. So it was with great trepidation that I approached Best Coast initially. Their early singles certainly hit my soft spot; girl fronted garage pop, but they didn't rock my world nearly as much as similar artists the Vivian or Dum Dum Girls. Then "Boyfriend" leaked. A simple pop song with a slightly downbeat flavor that reflected the longing in mainwoman Bethany Cosentino's gorgeous voice, "Boyfriend" completely captivated. Suddenly all those earlier singles sounded like a prelude to something grander, and any trepidation I had quickly turned to anticipation.
Thankfully, "Crazy For You" does not disappoint. More than that though, it actually merits, matches and one-ups all of the hype leading to its release. Yeah, it's that good. At the center of the album's success is Bethany's voice. The band's early singles were typically fuzzed out affairs that buried her vocals under layers of noise. Even while maintaining plenty of lo-fi jangle, "Crazy For You" offers cleaner production that highlights her voice; and what a voice it is. Reminiscent of sweet, but powerful, 60s girl group vocals, Bethany possesses the range to coo, snarl or soar in equal goose bump inducing measure. Her voice is absolutely intoxicating, and easily the most powerful instrument on the record.
Vocals alone does not a great album make though. The album wouldn't be the work it is without top-notch songwriting and instrumentation, of which "Crazy For You" has in spades. As a songwriter, Bethany has crafted 13 pitch-perfect sun-soaked pop ditties about things like boys, weed, boys, summer, boys, cats, and, if you can believe it, boys. Lyrically Bethany is a one woman girl group updated for modern sensibilities. Traditional lovesick lyrics are punctuated by nods to sex and drugs with a sly wit and humor that will have fans shouting out lyrics and grinning ear to ear, as they recently did at Pitchfork when Bethany delivered the lines "I lost my job, I miss my mom, I wish my cat could talk," during a performance of "Goodbye," one of the album's many highlights.
Musically, as well, the band keeps it seemingly simple but with plenty of twists, turns and subtle flourishes to warrant a close listen. Bethany and multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno create a rock solid sound that is equal parts jangle pop and traditional girl group. At times Bethany's vocals are multi-tracked to achieve the girl group sound, which is complemented by the band's simple restrained playing in places and contrasted in others when they go for broke on tracks like "I Want To." Some songs, like "Honey," "Boyfriend" and "When The Sun Don't Shine," features a bit of shoegaze inflected rock that provides comforting layers of guitar to match Bethany's voice. Overall, there is a lot more musical variety present here than what was evidenced on the band's early singles. That variety, along with Bethany's songwriting and vocals, make "Crazy For You" one of the most satisfying repeat listens of the year.
So yeah, for once the Internet hype was right. Best Coast pretty much rules. They are the whole package, and "Crazy For You" will deservedly end up on a lot of year end lists for 2010. I don't recommend waiting that long to pick it up though, because this is a summer album through and through. Play this at the beach, the pool, on the front porch, the back deck, in your car with the windows down, wherever. Just play it. I promise that you'll be happy that you did.
Wheeler says: "This is the official mid to end-of-summer soundtrack, so declares Wheeler."
"When I'm With You" 7" version
Interview and early version of "Crazy For You" live
Seems that Sunday is the day that everyone and their brother are going to be at Pitchfork. Might have something to be with some allegedly legendary indie rock band that I've never heard of...Asphalt, or Concrete or something like that. They reunited after splitting over a decade ago and supposedly it's going to be awesome. N E way, before everyone gets hopped up on Sparks and forgets their own names here are just some bands you might want to check out before hand:
Best Coast - "When I'm With You"
Washed Out - "Feel It All Around"
Beach House - "Zebra"
Local Natives - "Airplanes"
Lightning Bolt - "Dracula Mountain"
Surfer Blood - "Swim"
Big Boi - "Shutterbug"
And that one band, who are apparently called Pavement, although I like Asphalt better...but whatevs, it's alright, I guess.
To quote Bethany Cosentino's arch-nemesis Carles, "Best Coast is a fuzzy buzzy band that sings abt dank, California, boys, and kitty cats," which for better or worse sums up the band pretty well. Of course that summation also misses out on the nuances of the band, like how they perfectly combine Patsy Cline like vocals with 90s rrriot girl guitar rock and beach pop sensibilities, or how Bethany's seemingly simplistic lyrics hit closer to home than a knotty wordsmith like Joanna Newsom, or how no other album ruled the summer of 2010 like Best Coast's "Crazy For You." I think I listened to this record at least three times a day throughout the summer, and given the chance I'll do it again next summer. Full review here.
