Review Summary: An easy to get into album full of some great surf-pop songs but not the most varied songwriting.
This debut album from singer / songwriter Bethany Cosentino blasts off with a sound that sounds like the sunny colorful beachside picture seen on the cover right off the bat with opener “Boyfriend” and sticks around for the relatively short album length. The timing of this album couldn’t be more perfect as the sun has been putting a nice warm sheen on the SF Bay Area for the last couple weeks. It’s summer; and THIS is a summer album. I don’t mean that in the way that this album is reminiscent of summer, i mean that in the way that I honestly don’t think I’ll be listening to this album much outside of the summer months. This album feels like it was constructed out of summer boredom sitting around on the beach smoking weed.
‘Crazy For You’ is your new ‘kick back and relax’ album. I found myself listening to it when I just wanted to put my mind on auto-pilot for a little bit. Since M.I.A. dropped the ball in providing a great new Pop-for-the-people-who-don’t-like-Pop Album, this has taken the crown. Bethany’s voice is right at home on this album. It’s warm and welcoming which compliments the immediately accessible, undeniably fun and catchy sound of the album.
You know what Best Coast sounds like. Well, at least provided you’ve heard The Beach Boys before. Perhaps my biggest issue with the album is the very thing that I love so much about it – it’s simple, straight forward, and laid back. What I mean is despite the fact that I love this album, I have already stopped listening to it almost all together a mere couple weeks after getting it except for an occasional revisit in my album rotation. The lyrics are mostly comprised of universal and simple phrases about love (“I miss you so much” is sung over and over for the majority of the song “I Want You”) and the songwriting is basic and similar from song to song. I was left wishing there was a couple left-field songs to break it up.
Don’t get me wrong – I highly recommend this album. The crunchiness and glazed over feel to the album adds a great feel to the sound, the album has some fantastic songs (“Our Deal”, “Boyfriend”, “Honey”, and “Each & Everyday” are my favorites), but it’s worth noting the album is short and to-the-point with little to discover beyond its simple and carefree songwriting. The best part though, it’s clear that’s all this album was trying to be. A summer album for all ages.
