Best Coast – ‘Crazy For You’ (Wichita)

After a handful of awesome singles and an appearance on Rough Trade’s much-heralded latest indie-pop release, the Bethany Cosentino-led band unleash their debut LP.

And – generally speaking -it’s really rather good. Opening with ‘Boyfriend’ this LP contains song after song of indiepop that owes as much to various strands of classic sixties California as it does to Blondie and Sonic Youth. It’s indiepop minus the twee and definitely with a harder coating. Tracks like ‘Honey’ are dreamy but at the same time have a hint of darkness, and it’s this that sets Best Coast apart from many of the bands that they get bracketed with.

Over the course of the entire album, you occasionally wish that they would vary the pace and palette a little bit, but all in all it’s a good, strong album, and a more than promising debut. If you enjoy this, make sure you check out the early singles and EPs, too.

***1/2

Crazy For You is out now on Wichita.

Best Coast -‘Boyfriend.’ mp3

Best Coast -‘When I’m With You.’ mp3

Having blogged about Bethany Consantino AKA Best Coast last December, I’m very chuffed to see that her album seems to be getting so much love in the blogosphere and further afield. It may only be August, but you sense ‘end of year poll’ and ‘Best Coast’ may through up a lot in google search at the end of the year.

Now, I have yet to get my mucky paws on a copy of Crazy For You (hell, I’m probably going to be laying my limited credibility on the line by admitting that I don’t have the latest Arcade Fire album yet), but this track is doing the rounds as a legal freebie and will hopefully give you a taste of what she’s all about.

Best Coast -‘Boyfriend.’ mp3

Pure gorgeous, no?

And if you like what you hear, may I suggest visiting here for more best Coast mp3s.

Go and make friends, too…

If you combine the cool (in both senses of the word) New York winter with the California summertime, what do you think you get? The answer is Best Coast, AKA. Bethany Cosentino. Having spent time living in Brooklyn, New York, she decided to return home to California.

There she took her love of the Beach Boys and the Everly Brothers, and the end result -with a sprinkling of c86 cool – is Best Coast. A handful of 7″s later, she’s wowing folks everywhere. She’s going to be going on tour with the Vivian Girls in the US in February 2010, which on the strength of their two albums sounds like one hell of a night out….if you live on the West Coast of America, that is.

No dates scheduled for her over here in the UK at the moment, worst luck, but for now check out these two tracks and go and befriend her on myspace.

Best Coast -‘When I’m With You.’ mp3

Best Coast -‘Something In The Way.’ mp3

Best Coast blog/Best Coast myspace