Best Coast - Crazy For You (Album Review)

Click Read More to check out my review of the new Best Coast album

This year’s SXSW proved to be successful for Best Coast as they were heralded as one of the up and coming acts at the event. The big question on everyone’s mind was after releasing a ton of vinyl singles that have had the underground buzzing, can Bethany Cosentino and Bob Bruno follow up crowd favorites such as “The Sun Was High (So I Was High)” and various other singles with a strong LP.

The quick and simple answer is yes. In fact, Best Coast has made that album, has exceeded my expectations in many ways, and has thrown in a few extra things I was not quite expecting.

Best Coast is known for their vintage beach pop. Much of that sound is found on this release but the production and songwriting has improved. The production on this album is similar to the Black Iris single Best Coast released last year. The vocals are more pronounced and the instrumentation is less muddy, but it still maintains that sun-bleached sound the band is known for by their fans. I heard a lot of hype about Wavves and the clean production found on their new album King Of The Beach. Some people are even defining it as the album that, well…makes Wavves King Of The Beach. Cosentino could easily find herself queen of the beach on this album. She outshines many of her peers while proving vocally she is one of the more solid singers of the scene. The harmonies on the album sound really good. Bob Bruno continues to provide the tracks on the album with impressive bass leads and he helps to give the tracks extra flavor and thicken up the music.

The track that really threw me for a loop was “Honey” which may be one of my favorite tracks on the album. This track is a great addition to the album. It has a different vibe than most of the record. It could easily fit into the mid 90s alternative rock scene. The track vocally is one of my favorites on the album in which Cosentino sings the lyric “Honey” with an almost eerie vibe to her voice.

The album itself sets a good pace. The songs are short, fun, and for the most part energetic. The longest track on the album is the track “Honey” that clocks in at just over three minutes long. Current single “When I’m With You” is added as a bonus track, which fits the album well as a nice closing and adds a couple extra minutes to the party.

When I first heard of Best Coast everyone said here is a lo-fi group, but with this new album I have heard it pegged as no-fi. With everyone searching for a new way to classify everything, I think after hearing the album, I am just going to call it rock and roll with a punk edge.

Standout Tracks:

“Honey”
“Summer Mood”
“Bratty B”