ALBUM REVIEW: BEST COAST ‘THE ONLY PLACE’

The L.A. duo Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno perform under the moniker Best Coast. They blew up the indie-pop charts with their debut album “Crazy For You” in 2010. Out today, through Mexican Summer Records, Best Coast cleans up well in their second studio album ‘The Only Place’, losing the fuzziness and gaining some clarity in Cosentino’s, now confident, ever so sweet vocals.

Although the lyrics are a little bit more self-doubting and gloomy, producer Jon Brion makes the album shimmer and shine and the west coast California sound comes alive.

Starting out the album is the title track ‘The Only Place,’ a magnificent upbeat love song to California. “Why would you live anywhere else? We've got the ocean, got the babes Got the sun, we've got the waves, this is the only place for me.”

After the first song, the album takes a major emotion spin all while keeping the dreamy 60’s influences but adding some grungy 90’s influences as well. The simplicity of the lyrics are what make this album special, you don’t need big vocabulary or thought provoking phrases to make good music.

Bethany Cosentino is known for her sincere and heartfelt lyrics, one of the best examples on this record is the song “No One Like You.”  Singing about holding onto a troubled relationship “Know that you don't mean to say things, that hurt me and drive me to my knees/been around this crazy world, but I still want to be your girl” most of us can relate to at some point in our lives.

The acoustic “My Life” deals with one of the most relatable emotions, regret. “When I go to sleep at night, I’m wishing for a choice to go back in time make what’s wrong feel right.”

Since ‘Crazy For You’ came out in 2010 Best Coast has traveled the world far and wide and on the song “Let’s Go Home” it’s obvious that they have missed and appreciate the comforts of home.  “I've seen all the mountains, Yes, I've seen all the trees/ I've seen all the water, but nowhere compares to home.”

Best Coast’s claim to fame is their love for the west coast and the dreaminess sound, as long as they don’t take a loving to the “other coast” they will have plenty of love to go around.

Rating: 3/5

Top Tracks: The Only Place, No One Like You, Let’s Go Home

Best Coast US Tour #1

(Jeff The Brotherhood supporting)

 5/18 Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern

5/19 Oakland, CA @ Fox

5/21 Portland, Or @ Aladdin

5/22 Seattle, WA @ Neptune

5/23 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore

5/25 Aspen, CO @ Belly Up

5/26 Boulder, CO @ Fox Theater

5/27 Lawrence, KS @ Granada

5/29 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown

5/30 St. Louis, MO @ Firebird

6/01 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater

6/02 Houston, TX @ Free Press Fest

6/03 Austin, TX @ Chaos in Tejas

Best Coast UK Tour

6/16 Glasgow @ Garage

6/17 Manchester @ HMV Ritz

6/18 Birmingham @ Academy

6/20 London @ SBE

6/21 Brighton @ Coalition

6/22 Isle of Wight Festival

Best Coast US Tour #2

(Those Darlins supporting)

6/24 Atlantic City @ Metallica’s Orion Festival

7/09 Orlando, FL @ The Social

7/10 Miami, FL @ Grand Central

7/12 Atlanta, GA @ Variety

7/13 Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat’s Cradle

7/14 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

7/16 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer

7/17 New York, NY @ Terminal 5

7/18 Boston, MA @ Royale

7/20 Montreal, QC @ Le National

7/21 Toronto, ON @ Pheonix

7/23 Columbus, OH @ Newport Theater

7/24 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom

7/25 Madison, WI @ Majestic

7/27 Chicago, IL @ Vic