Best Coast - Crazy For You

The duo of Bethany Consentino and Bobb Bruno, known as Best Coast, has been around for a while now graciously dropping various e.p.'s. Now they have finally released a sweet summer album that will make you feel at one with your inner teenage girl. Their debut, Crazy for You, is sweet yet nothing extraordinary, however, you get the feeling that they weren't aiming for the latter. The duo have brought us a piece of music that is mainly influenced by 60's pop and a diary, and also takes clues from early garage sounds, post-punk darkness, and doo woop vocals.

Opening Crazy for You is "Boyfriend", a song whose confession is a serious reminder of a major pop hit from a few months ago. With a very simple guitar sound and drum beat Bethany longingly sings "I wish he was my boyfriend. I'd love him to the very end but instead he is just a friend. The other girl is not like me. She is prettier and skinnier..." But then, she apparently gets the boy and then gets all flustered. In another reminder of another singer/songwriter pop song from last year Bethany states "You drive me crazy but I love you... I want to hit you but then I kiss you. I want to kill you but then I'd miss you". While the last 2 descriptions sound like downers, there is something about it that doesn't make you hate it. Its pretty confusing actually. It takes you along for the ride, wearing cat eye sunglasses, Keds, and capris. At first the songs are in a melodic dream state, but then they evolve into happier and beat driven tracks, such as "Happy" (how convienient, huh?). While the skeleton of the album is sweet pop and love songs from beginning to end, it does have its darker moments. "Honey", for example, has a Jesus & Mary Chain meets Siouxsie vibe (I know I know, there's a J&MC called "Just Like Honey" I'm not getting confused). "I Want To" also starts out darker but then reverts back to their happy stance.

So, while at first I wanted to punch Bethany if I heard another lovey-dovey thought, I left all those feelings aside and just took it for what it is: a diary with pretty melodies. Crazy For You will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea, but that's because it's more like soda-pop.