Best Coast

California Nights

Written by: PP on 28/09/2015 22:10:03

For a couple of albums now, all-female duo Best Coast have been riding a slow but sure way into international stardom via their dreamy, fuzzy brand of indie rock that carries influence and overtones of garage, lo-fi and even punk in its soundscape. It's subtly catchy, relatively fast and upbeat, but contains a boatload of pop elements to make it suitable for radio stations despite not being particularly polished in its sound.

Indeed, third album "California Nights" is fuzzy and lo-fi enough to suggest it's concealing big city claustrophobia in its soothing expression, yet has enough roughened edge in bass and guitar distortion to almost pass it as a Courtney Love release. It's a masterful balance of mainstream indie pop and underground punk elements to give the soundscape an eclectic and mysterious vibe. You know, that Pitchfork sound, as we like to call it over here. The difference is that Best Coast never sound pretentious or even particularly hipster: they're just two girls who can sing very well, deliver catchy pop punk-ish melodies on what is an indie rock platform in a nutshell, but so much more when you dig deeper.

The breadth of influences and styles embedded in their sound is precisely what makes it work. From the instantly catchy pop piece "Heaven Sent" to the more sunset boulevard-style free-flowing alternative rock track "So Unaware", it sounds spirited, youthful, and energetic throughout without requiring much from the listener. The songs are easily accessible and open up swiftly, allowing for sing-alongs but don't necessarily demand them given the soothing and chilled out nature of the music overall. Which is a paradox given the relatively high tempo the songs are delivered throughout. Still, you could argue that "California Nights" is a great place to start for someone eager to get started with the scene that also houses the hipster scene.

7

Download: Heaven Sent, Feeling Ok, So Unaware
For the fans of: Wavves, Beach House, Cults, Dum Dum Girls
Listen: Facebook

Release date 05.05.2015
Harvest

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