The duo of
Bethany Cosentino and
Bobb Bruno are firm believers in simplicity. The songs they record as
Best Coast are straight-ahead verse-chorus tunes influenced by various strains of pop and rock from the '70s onward (doo wop, garage rock, girl groups, early punk, '90s indie rock), played without frills and sung super-earnestly. In the hands of people less talented, the end result could have been generic at best, snooze-worthy at worst.
Cosentino’s copied-from-her-diary lyrics might sound juvenile (and cringe-inducing) if not sung with a touching sweetness and melancholy that's unadorned by irony. The reliance on simple statements ("I love you," "I miss you," "you make me crazy," etc.) related to affairs of the heart and the multiple references to weed would start to grate unless surrounded by instantly memorable melodies, sharp hooks, and production that adds just the right amount of noise and reverb to the songs. Their debut album,
Crazy for You is loaded with music that you’ll be walking around humming to yourself after only a play or two and songs you’ll be singing along to before they’re half over; songs that just plain sound good in a familiar and comforting way. Unlike many of their contemporaries,
Best Coast don’t add noise to push away the listener or hide the poppiness of the songs; the distortion and reverb they use are warm and inviting, especially when combined with
Cosentino’s vocal harmonies. There are a few songs that stand out as highlights (like the insistently catchy “Boyfriend,” which starts the album off perfectly by establishing the main themes and sound to follow; the laid-back ballad “Summer Mood,” and their best song to date, “When I’m with You”), but really,
Crazy for You is meant to be an album that creates a mood, a feeling of gentle despair and wistful longing that grows with each song. It's like a deep hug from a good friend; straight-forward and reassuring with no strings attached.
Cosentino and
Bruno aren't reinventing the wheel on
Crazy for You, but they didn't have to. The give the familiar noise-pop template a nice jolt and imbue it with enough good-natured charm and energy to make the album stand out in the noise-pop crowd. ~ Tim Sendra