Back in 2009, Beach Fossils released their self-titled debut; and ushered a wave of jangly, slightly nostalgic rock and pop music. Bands such as Wild Nothing & Diiv have all been influenced by what that debut album put forward. But as much as I enjoyed the last Wild Nothing release, very few albums in this style have appealed to me, the first Beach Fossils album included.
Luckily, that has changed with their latest release, Clash The Truth. Which finds the band playing more lively and energetic songs, with more emphasis on melody and standout playing. From the opener, the post-punk tinged title track; it's clear that Beach Fossils are sounding not only more clear, but also penning far more memorable tunes. In fact, I'd say they're writing some of the finest in the style on this LP. "Generational Synthetic" is a catchy and bright song with a driving guitar melody and infectious chorus, while the following track "Sleep Apnea" goes for a more laid back and dreamy sound, reminiscent of the bands earlier material, but with clearer production.
Clash The Truth features one strong track after another with only a couple of "Ok" moments, all of which are relegated to the interludes and perhaps the track "In Vertigo" ( which features the lead singer of Blonde Redhead) could have been more memorable. But this is still a top-notch dream pop album, and one that may change your mind about the style if you haven't enjoyed music like it in the past.
8.3/10
