Best Coast - The Only Place

The 2010 release of 'Crazy for You' sort of passed me by. I guess, being British, the amount of Califawning presented in their music and style was a little hard to relate to this side of the Atlantic, and if anything that's represented more obviously this time around. The album was wonderfully fun and uplifting, though, and the whole indie-pop duo with a summery vibe shtick continues to be a crowdpleaser.

Bobb Bruno and Bethany Cosentino might look the part with their glasses and their cool band tees, but the one thing that's a barrier between idle appreciation and full-blown embrace of the band is that, since their breakthrough, so many other bands have come and gone with debuts far more enticing and eyecatching. Cults, Cat's Eyes, Yuck, Grouplove, the Smith Westerns and Foster the People all grabbed my attention with far more lo-fi indie gusto than this whole laidback Californian dream-pop in under-3-minute bursts thing. Still, Cosentino's guest appearance on the Go! Team's Buy Nothing Day, one of my favourite tracks of last year, may just prove there's potential. I'm aware now that I'm forcing my own opinions instead of reporting fairly, so I'll shut up and get on with it.

Beginning then with their titular track, 'The Only Place' is as slickly produced and finely finished as indie pop comes, so much so that you're almost expecting it to soundtrack a commercial for cider or holiday parks. It's a fun, carefree opener that's impossible to hate, and it's inanely catchy too. 'Why I Cry' seems to pick up where it left off, though, with an almost identical rhythm and melody. "Take a pill, spend the bills, seems to be the way I get my thrills" is about the most edgy of the lyrical offerings, and it's fine if you enjoyed the opener enough to hear it again, basically. Thus 'Last Year' arrives like the slow-dance at prom - all 1950s chord sequences and very safe home-by-11 sounds, and it's just totally uninspired. 'My Life' too is full of dull lyrics and a polished production that's blurred out all of their original edges.

Far more vocally appealing and melodically improved, though, is 'No One Like You', a beautiful slow number that revels in Motown balladry inspirations and comes off as a much richer, mature track as a result. 'How They Want Me to Be' also packs more interesting and cute riffs into its introduction than the entire first third of the album. Singing "all my friends stick up their noses/ ask me where my money is", it's a sweet little song about finding solace from peer pressure in a romantic interest. 'Better Girl' hints at their less edited appeal with a rawer guitar piece throughout, and it's a subtle but solid tune. Cosentino exerts herself more though on 'Do You Still Love Me Like You Used To', and the instrumental again is given chance to really shine without commercial pressures.

In 'Dreaming My Life Away' a touch of '80s goth-rock is applied to the guitars, which, coupled with Cosentino's drawn-out notes adds a much deeper aesthetic to the band, and one that'd be nice to be seen explored more fully. Instead, they opt to proceed to 'Let's Go Home', a fast-paced "how do you like this one, Centerparcs?" beeline that bobs along cheerfully and with twee innocence. Harmonicas in the background are a nice touch, but it's too formulaic and generic for the duo. 'Up All Night', though, the longest and final track, is spotlit in its romanticism and is a swansong they can be proud of: even the simplistic lyrics "I want to see you forever and ever" repeated often are sung with unwavering conviction, and it's just an adorable song.

Ultimately their sophomore effort follows the formula that The Drums went through with 2011's Portamento: they've broken through with a very distinctive sound that it'd be somewhat foolish to distance themselves from, but at the same time haven't grown or adapted themselves. Although not as disturbingly repetitive as the Drums' second effort, Best Coast do kind of leave me wanting more. A solid collection of nice tunes, though, and an album that's not wholly offensive - but at 34:20, too, it'll struggle to stand out this year.

Rating: 5.5/10
Highlights: No One Like You, The Only Place, Dreaming My Life Away, Up All Night
Avoid: Last Year, Why I Cry, Let's Go Home, My Life

Artwork Watch: Of course bears would embrace California, it's got San Francisco. [/lame LGBT jokes]