Beach Fossils do this very well. The nimble and intricate indie-pop of Bunny, the new record from this New York band, is sure to please those who are already fans of this four-piece. And it's pleasing enough to draw in those who are new to this group too, making this Bayonet Records offering one of the strongest overall releases from Dustin Payseur and crew.
Opener "Sleeping on My Own" chimes as the ascending tune draws a listener in, even as the more ruminative "Don't Fade Away" nods in the direction of mid-Eighties Cure and New Order. The players here don't allow enormous stylistic changes in the output of Beach Fossils, but what's here has a spry quality that keeps every track on the "fresh" side of the whole equation. The organ-figure in closer "Waterfall" suggests a slightly new direction for this outfit's sound, though Beach Fossils do this so well, we really don't mind a certain sameness to the material. Still, I liked the setting of the closer to Bunny so much, mainly because it removed a bit of the intricacy and playfulness of other tunes in favor of a stately melodic progression.
Bunny is remarkably solid. It's a listenable record in an extreme sense, and I'd defy anyone who reads this site's reviews to find something too unpleasant about any of it. That said, a wish for more variety is a fair point, and while I love hearing Beach Fossils reach a kind of peak here, I'm a tiny bit anxious to hear what else they can do too.
Bunny by Beach Fossils is out via Bayonet Records.
[Photo: Sinna Nasseri]