Beach Day – Native Echoes
A few years ago everybody misleadingly called themselves Wolf or Crystal. Now it’s Beach, but at least that gives you an idea as to what you’re gonna get. Beach means surf, sun-bleached fidelities and horizontal vibes. Beach Day are Florida girls and, boy, do they oblige (the laidback instrumental “Gnarly Waves” even field-records their local ocean at Hollywood Beach). Native Echoes is their second LP in as many years and it duly rumbles once more with retro garage-pop melodies and sweet Girl Group harmonies, light feedback and synth effects gobbling up any shadows that threaten the mix (those in the spidery “Don’t Call Me On The Phone” bringing New Order to mind).
So, basically, Beach Day are a Southern States Dum Dum Girls or an East Coast Best Coast (particularly on the wistful “BFFs”); so much so that at times it’s impossible to parse the two in fact, but it’s nice to know there are back-ups all the same. We’re on pretty safe ground lyrically too. Kimmy Drake’s standout vocal is as adept on the subject of friends and on are-they-aren’t they love songs as she is being able to wither at a hundred paces and on vulnerable tracks like “Lost Girl” and “How Do You Sleep At Night”. Usually on punchier form, however, she’s more than capable of rocking pretty hard to Skyler Black’s drum beats too, such as on “I’m Just Messin’ Around”.
An obvious drawback is originality, but originality is overrated in any case. It’s summer FFS. Let’s just kick back and enjoy ourselves. Beach Day are already way ahead of you.
Best tracks: “I’m Just Messin’ Around” and “Don’t Call Me On The Phone”
~Native Days is released August 18th via Kanine Records.~