Artist: Beach Fossils
Album: Clash The
Truth
Label: Captured
Tracks
Release Date:
February 19th, 2013
Review by: Sean
Kayden
A
few things have changed since Beach Fossil’s last record. This time around
bandleader Dustin Payseur acquired three new members, including drummer Tommy
Davidson to replace the use of a drum kit in previous material. What once
started as a solo bedroom project of lo-fi songs has been reincarnated into a
full fledge band. This time around Beach Fossils find themselves heading into a
studio with a producer to craft a more polished, higher production sounding
record. In the process of doing so, the band’s unique qualities could have been
completely lost with the transition, but rather a sense of drive and determination
is now found. However, Beach Fossils have instead found a true equilibrium from
the lo-fi edges on their first album and dream-pop movement on their follow-up
EP, “What A Pleasure” to combine the two sounds in what is now known as, “Clash
The Truth.” Despite the lost of two original members, who have pursued their
own projects (DIIV and Heavenly Beat) and taking a leap in a somewhat
different, off the beaten path direction, Beach Fossils come away far from
hitting a sophomore slump, but instead honing their craft with an album that
genuinely doesn’t disappointment.
The songs here are quick and bursting with energy. No track is longer than three minutes and twenty five seconds and the shortest is thirty-three seconds. Those jangly guitar riffs are still in tack, which is now proceeded by Payseur’s clearer vocals. A sense of maturity has taken its toll on both vocals and lyrics. Instead of being deemed just another surf-pop meets garage-rock summer fly-by-night summer band, Beach Fossils are clearly the real deal as they’ve become stronger and quite simply better over time. The opening and title track is a solid example of this with angst lyrics and Payseur chanting along the second half of the song. Another gem is “Careless,” that’s viciously catchy and demonstrates such a strong sense of urgency. It’s easily the best song among some of the best music Beach Fossils have put out in their reasonably short career. “In Vertigo” provides the vocals of Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead and it’s a sure winner. It’s a sprawling, darkly sweet sound with Makino’s restrained vocals to boot. The combination of that along with heavy-reverb fit hand in hand together. You will easily be clamoring for more songs of this duo. The only real problem I have with this album is the three useless instrumental tracks. “Clash The Truth” is already short in duration and the added three minutes and twenty five seconds of out of place, needless material definitely disrupts the flow of the record.
In the end, “Clash The Truth” is the work of an artist who has developed a sound richer and more intricate than previous work has indicated. The evolution between the first two records reminds me a lot of Beach Fossils’ label mates, Wild Nothing. Both musicians started their careers as solo bedroom pop artists and now find themselves in communal projects, respectively. Plus, in relation to this, Beach Fossils’ resonance has changed with the added higher production values found in professional recording studios. Nonetheless, Payseur and co. take some risks, most of which pay off greatly. With 2013 still ahead of them, Beach Fossils just may become bigger than they ever imagined. I know for starters their new material has definitely become so.
The songs here are quick and bursting with energy. No track is longer than three minutes and twenty five seconds and the shortest is thirty-three seconds. Those jangly guitar riffs are still in tack, which is now proceeded by Payseur’s clearer vocals. A sense of maturity has taken its toll on both vocals and lyrics. Instead of being deemed just another surf-pop meets garage-rock summer fly-by-night summer band, Beach Fossils are clearly the real deal as they’ve become stronger and quite simply better over time. The opening and title track is a solid example of this with angst lyrics and Payseur chanting along the second half of the song. Another gem is “Careless,” that’s viciously catchy and demonstrates such a strong sense of urgency. It’s easily the best song among some of the best music Beach Fossils have put out in their reasonably short career. “In Vertigo” provides the vocals of Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead and it’s a sure winner. It’s a sprawling, darkly sweet sound with Makino’s restrained vocals to boot. The combination of that along with heavy-reverb fit hand in hand together. You will easily be clamoring for more songs of this duo. The only real problem I have with this album is the three useless instrumental tracks. “Clash The Truth” is already short in duration and the added three minutes and twenty five seconds of out of place, needless material definitely disrupts the flow of the record.
In the end, “Clash The Truth” is the work of an artist who has developed a sound richer and more intricate than previous work has indicated. The evolution between the first two records reminds me a lot of Beach Fossils’ label mates, Wild Nothing. Both musicians started their careers as solo bedroom pop artists and now find themselves in communal projects, respectively. Plus, in relation to this, Beach Fossils’ resonance has changed with the added higher production values found in professional recording studios. Nonetheless, Payseur and co. take some risks, most of which pay off greatly. With 2013 still ahead of them, Beach Fossils just may become bigger than they ever imagined. I know for starters their new material has definitely become so.
Grade: 8.2 out of 10
Key Tracks: “Clash
The Truth,” “Shallow,” “Taking Off,” “In Vertigo”
Published by Mountain Views News on March 16th, 2013
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v07/htm/n11/p19.htm
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v07/htm/n11/p19.htm
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