In July, the perfect summer album popped out of nowhere, taking audiences by delightful surprise. Best Coast’s stellar Crazy For You ushers in a retro feel to the chill-wave movement sweeping indie music today. The group has attracted a fan base consisting of celebs like Rivers Cuomo (who had them open for Weezer’s most recent tour), Jerry Seinfeld, and Bruce Springsteen. Lead singer Bethany Cosentino initially sounds like a more wholesome version of Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis, but as the album progresses, Crazy blurs the line between an age of decency and one of ironic derangement. Upon repeated listens, the album begs the question: is Cosentino lovesick or just sick in the head? On “Boyfriend,” the singer pines over a man who she would “love him ‘til the very end / but instead he is just a friend.” It sounds sweet enough, but on the very next track, Best Coast takes a turn for the obsessed with “Crazy For You,” a Beach Boys style tune that seems primed for the beach that spirals into an absurd fixation. Every song can be interpreted in the same fashion—is it just puppy love? Perhaps, but that’s the fun of Crazy For You, a deliciously catchy and wonderful. It certainly bodes well for the bands’ next album that Cosentino has taken to shacking up with the lead singer of fellow chill-wave band, Wavves. Perhaps their upcoming tour will give Best Coast’s songs new meanings as the audience has a face to put to the words. I’m certainly reading into the band’s songs too much—it’s very likely that Best Coast is just a fun little Southern California band who likes to write beach-ready songs about the days when life was carefree, but where’s the fun in that?
Watch the video for "Boyfriend" below:
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