On her group’s recent record The Only Place, Bethany Cosentino took about as big a left turn as she could without really changing anything. Much has been written about Best Coast’s breakthrough Crazy for You: the Jan-&-Dean-meets-Phil-Spector ambiance; Cosentino’s regular shout-outs to her adorable cat and famous boyfriend, Wavves’ Nathan Williams; the simple, pot-soaked Southern California-ness of it all. Despite its heavy preoccupation with loneliness and emotionally-stunted introspection, Crazy for You was seen, above all, as a fun record. That was mostly due to the teenage simplicity of the lyrics and arrangements, which came off as more classic than pedestrian. The smoky production and inventive chord changes made it clear there was a mature creative hand behind the sulky persona.
The Only Place, though, might make you wonder. With this kind of throwback pop, presentation is everything. Producer Jon Brion (who’s done exceptional work with Fiona Apple and Kanye West, among many others) is not a good fit for Best Coast. It’s easy to see, given the band’s general SoCal vibe, how it might have seemed like a good idea to give this record the sunny and slick L.A. sheen of late-’70s Fleetwood Mac. But pulling Best Coast’s music out of the murk demands a more direct interaction with the songs themselves, and that can be death for this kind of stuff. The way Brion pulls the newly super-clean vocals way up in the mix forces the listener to engage with just the lyrics and melodies rather than the whole package. And let’s face it, Bethany Cosentino isn’t exactly Bob Dylan in the lyrical department. Under normal circumstances, as a purveyor of fuzzed-out stylized throwback girl-group surf-rock, she doesn’t have to be. But the new production combined with an apparent bid for “maturity” (i.e. fewer references to getting high and a de-emphasis on sly humor) make the record seem mediocre, despite the songwriting and basic instrumental arrangements being about on par with Crazy for You. On The Only Place, and particularly on the title track available above, Best Coast make a bid for status as creative heavy-hitters, but for right now Cosentino’s wavering a bit in the spotlight.