Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino might have an old soul. Crazy For You (2010) is filled with lyrics and ideas that seem to belong to a different era. Nearly the entire album is about pining for someone just out of reach. She confesses to waiting by the phone for a call and that everything “falls apart” whenever this beau leaves her. She claims that “Momma always told me there’d be boys like you.” She uses the term love capriciously, speaking not of an intimate relationship but of a more distant desire. On the opening track and single “Boyfriend,” she not only longs for a significant other, but wonders how she could possibly win him over. So far, it seems like I could be describing the music of the Crystals or the Chiffons.
Don’t worry, there is no mistaking Best Coast for a 60’s girl group. The overall sound is that of surf rock and there is a serious lack of harmony. Plus, Cosentino manages to pepper in a few phrases that no respectable young lady would have said six decades ago, like stating that her day “really sucked” or that not even a “bunch of weed” can make her happy.
Although social mores may have evolved since the times of the Shirelles, certain themes are immutable. Women of every generation long for someone out of their reach, letting him consume their thoughts and emotions. Luckily, they are apparently quite skilled at turning these sentiments into enjoyable, catchy pop tunes. Crazy For You clocks in at just over half an hour, and always leaves me wishing it wasn’t over. Yes, the beachy songs do sound rather alike and no, none of them would constitute a masterpiece. But they are reel one in, describing feelings that people of both genders experience from time to time. The overall sound is engaging enough for an active listen, yet the surf influence makes it laid back enough to be a soundtrack. No matter the circumstances, when I’m with you, Best Coast, I have fun.
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