Beach Fossils - Clash The Truth
- Written by Ben Gibson
Beach Fossils' second album Clash The Truth follows on where their dreamy self-titled début album left off with its sun-kissed title track. “Life can be so vicious/And we can’t even appreciate its purities” whispers front man Dustin Payseur in the opening moments, setting the starry-eyed lyrical tone for the rest of the record.
Its musical depth takes multiple listens to come to the surface. Like all great records, it's not a slut, you'll have to put the time in before it gives everything up. The first time around it's a pleasant if not spectacular ride through sandy beaches and clear waters. In other words, it wouldn't sound out of place sound-tracking the OC, with its easy listening riffs and hushed vocals.
That's part of the problem listening to this album in the UK actually, its hardly the band's fault but the music feels a little out of place on a freezing cold Yorkshire estate. I can't help but imagine it would sound infinitely better on a beach with friends somewhere. However no amount of cold can take away from the magical swirling ballad 'Sleep Apnea': “I'm trying to listen to your words/but I can feel my head and its unravelling” swoons Payseur over delicate, twirling melodies. It's the most immediate indicator that Beach Fossils are a little more than your average lo-fi shoe gazers.
I have to say the term lo-fi feels wrong to me. Writing it I realise I'm only doing so because it appears to be how the band (or rather their management) have categorised themselves. The phrase conjures up images of songs needlessly placed behind a production wall of mud, which is simply not the case. These songs sparkle. In fact the production is top-notch, avoiding all the “brick walling” issues many modern records encounter and allowing all the subtlety’s of the band's natural dynamic to bubble beneath the musical surface. It's the sound of a producer confident that the band he's working with can create excitement without giving their audience a migraine. Songs like 'Shallow', 'Burn You Down' and album closer 'Crashed Out' rock the old-fashioned way, by building rhythm up.
It is not, however, a perfect album. While there are no bad tracks, other than 'Sleep Apnea' there are no immediate blow-you-away hits either. They're well crafted, satisfying tracks for sure, but that doesn't amount to classic. The vocals appear to be placed somewhere between Is This It and Loveless to mixed results. On certain songs, as mentioned previously, the tone is well judged, however after a certain point you want the guy to just wake the hell up, especially on more energetic tracks. The circular structure of the tracks can get a little repetitive, although the wealth of musical textures make similar songs worth your patience. A very good album then; one that promises greater things to come.
Clash The Truth is out on February 19 and is available from amazon