Los Angeles based indie rock band Best Coast are releasing their next EP, Fade Away, on October 22nd. Today, the band made it available as a free stream through Santa Monica NPR radio affiliate KCRW.
Fade Away is a continuation of what the band has already been doing with their critically acclaimed 2012 album The Only Place. The familiar surf drum beat runs through most of the album, as do the heavy layered guitar sounds and shimmery vocals.
The first 4 songs all sound pretty much the same, in terms of the instrumentation and overall feel of the indie-surf-punk rock. However, the songs are written and arranged in ways to be distinct from one another even though they draw from the same sonic palette. Then, things go in a new direction starting with the namesake song of the album, "Fade Away," as the drum beat changes and more sounds are introduced. The heavy distorted chugging guitars are mostly abandoned on the rest of the album, in favor of cleaner and brighter guitar sounds taking a lead. During the last song, "I Don't Know," things come back to the familiar surf beat and chugging guitar, but paired with the same brighter sound as the previous couple songs. The effect on the listener is almost like taking a trip and seeing the sun come up on the other side of the mountain. The 27 minute EP is a good listen.
You can buy the Fade Away album on iTunes and Amazon.
Fade Away by Best Coast Track List:
1. This Lonely Morning
2. I Wanna Know
3. Who Have I Become
4. Fear of My Identity
5. Fade Away
6. Baby I'm Crying
7. I Don't Know How
Via: KCRW 89.9 FM, Los Angeles Public Radio
