Live Review: LISTEN: Beach Fossils 'Shallow' / 'Lessons'

Described perfectly by David from Pitchfork Reviews as “$575/month + utilities music...for young slackers”, Brooklyn’s BEACH FOSSILS’ looping guitar lines and reverb-laden vocals create their distinctive laid back and detached sound.

Beach Fossils’ self-titled debut of 2010 firmly established them as Pitchfork favourites. A simple affair of repeating, twanging guitars, Beach Fossils swept you away to a lazy day at a beach with sand made out of your enemies’ powdered faces, while your fulfilled dreams lapped at the shore.

Last year’s What a Pleasure EP gave fans a taste of increasingly complex songs that retained the Beach Fossils trademark laid back sound. This reverb-saturated affair was dreamier and more wistful, taking you back to that private beach; now, however, sitting there by yourself, listening to the ocean heave and sigh, while you realised how empty this all was without other people to share it with.

Their new 7”, Shallow/Lessons, released in anticipation of their full-length later this year, is the next step in the evolution of the band’s sound; guitars rumble and drums tick furiously to a tempo outside the band’s comfort zone. It’s a welcome change: Shallow/Lessons is noticeably catchier, with songs which you can actually dance to and show to friends without their underwhelming reactions of “I don’t get it”. In other words, the Beach Fossils 7” invites the most excellent people you know, to the perfect chill party on your beach located on the Island of Tired Metaphors.

Listen to the A-side ‘Shallow’ and B-side ‘Lessons’ below.

‘Shallow’

‘Lessons’

Words by Stephen Pham.

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