Singles Review: Best Coast- Self Titled Debut and Make You Mine Singles

After months of my postings/love letters about Best Coast’s music, I finally have not one, but two singles worth of their music for my own. And all I had to do was shell out 18 dollars and wait a total of four weeks to get both. Money and time well spent? Completely, absolutely, 100 percent yes.

The self titled single on Art Fag Records was the one everyone was most excited about. Who wouldn’t be with “Sun Was High (So Was I)” on it? This could easily be the song of the year. Piece by piece, from Bethany’s lyrics, to the beautifully perfect distorted vocals, thundering drums, and soaring guitar line, all adding up to what could be the perfect pop song. And that’s just side A! The B side contains “So Gone” an almost equally good track on heartbreak, with 60s style “mmms” (distorted of course) to die for. Then there is her Lesley Gore cover of “That’s the Way Boys Are” which not only fits Best Coast’s music perfectly, but Bethany is also able to make it completely her own.

The Group Tightener single picks up right where the last one left off, with a ever so slightly darker tone. It opens with another cover, this time of The Beach Boys’ “In My Room”. It is pulled off so perfectly, and given such a new dimension from Cosentino, that I can’t tell if it is as good or better than “Sun Was High (So Was I)”. It proceeds into “Over the Ocean” a haunting little ditty about being alone, something that Cosention seems to write more about these days. Both the title track and “Feeling of Love” deal with longing or lose. While these songs may not sound like the most original, the tangled knot that is the 60's style influenced lyrics, instrumentation, and Bobb Bruno’s production, all merge into perfect lo-fi, summertime, pop songs.

In the raising sea of lo-fi/no-fi comeback artists, it is hard to stand out, and harder still to not suck and be original. But Best Coast easily accomplishes both of these, with catchieness to spare. I will wait for her next single, but till then I will listen to “Sun Was High (So Was I)” for the 500th time, because it is that good.

(mp3) Best Coast-Sun Was High (So Was I) (via Pop Headwound)
(mp3) Best Coast-Make You Mine (via Raven Sings the Blues)

Links:

Best Coast Myspace
Buy the Make You Mine single here, at Group Tightener
(Note: The self title single from Art Fag Records sold out fast. However a few might be on sale at other distros. If it can’t be found online, your best bet is to go to a Best Coast show, and see if they have any left.)