Man, my relationship with one-woman-Urban-Outfitters-soundtrack-composer Best Coast has grown so tricky. About a year ago, when "When I'm With You" came into my life, I was smitten with Bethany Costentino and for good reason. Is there a better song to encapsulate having a crush on just the wrong guy than "When I'm With You"? Fuzzy guitar, fuzzier vocals, and an all around grungy surf-rock vibe completes the pure perfection of the song, appealing to my better nature of bad relationship decisions with it's charming lyrics. Costentino hates sleeping alone? Hey, I do too! Bethany must be just like me!
Unfortunately, however, my curiosity had to get the better of me and I had to delve further into Best Coast's brief career. What I found was that Costentino is nothing if not a one trick pony. "Crazy" is rhymed with "lazy" more often than not and Costentino really only covers two topics in her lyrics: Boys and weed. If a song isn't about getting high, it's about the bad news boy she's fallen head over heels for. Sure, it's a topic I relate to but dang, Best Coast, invest in some range. Or at least differ your chord progressions.
As Best Coast's buzz grew, my affair with Costentino cooled and by the time that Best Coast's debut, Crazy For You, rolled out, I was disinterested at most. Lately, however, I've found myself warming again to Costeninto's one trick.
What can I say? I'm a sucker for songs about unrequited love.
Sure, it's overtly simple, particularly with the sophomoric "I'm waiting by the phone, I hope that he's at home waiting by his phone", but it's vague simplicity is the reason it's so relatable. Costentino daydreams of her just-a-friend and wants other girls out of the picture? Oh my gosh, me too! She's just like me! And that makes her appealing, right?
So where do I stand on Best Coast? I can't say I'm sure. Tomorrow, I might tire of Costentino's stoned rants about unrequited love and go back to more audibly interesting things but right now, "Boyfriend" is gonna stay on repeat.
Stay with it. You are doing good having them.
Posted by: vidro automóvel | 12/21/2011 at 08:27 AM
Great insight about Best Coast.
I saw her in TO during NXNE she seemed somewhat hostile and abit nice.
Review of the album http://wp.me/pQmiL-2c5
Posted by: Ming Wu | 07/30/2010 at 08:47 AM