ALREADY an act that will be undoubtedly looked upon fondly in years to come as one of the finest guitar based bands to come steaming out of the creative hotbed of LA, recent times have seen Best Coast take strides towards a vastly different sound than what initially piqued the public’s interest.

Simultaneously setting their sights upon the intense and fervent alt-rock of the genre’s heyday whilst refining their aptitude for pop music, Best Coast have more than delivered upon the outstanding California Nights.

Punctuated by an aesthetic that touches upon ground that The War On Drugs recently popularised upon Lost In The Dream, album opener ‘Feeling OK’ accomplishes the rare feat of treading the territory of FM radio rock whilst remaining outwardly alternative in nature. Exhibiting the band’s penchant for an anthemic sound with a humongous central guitar sound and an equally awe inspiring chorus, it’s one of their finest to date.

Immediately plunging the record in the often celebrated territory of the mid 90’s with an unsettling riff that evoked Weezer during their prime, ‘Fine Without You’ sees frontwoman Bethany Consentino on both confrontational and contemplative form. Sure to resonate with the masses given its instantaneously relatable subject matter as to how to cope with romantic detachment, this track holds within it the potential to become a crossover hit the likes of which they’ve yet to attain.

‘Heaven Sent’ focuses upon aggressive drumming and a typically pitch-perfect vocal delivery from Consentino, it embraces a sound that was favoured by acts such as the Replacements and The Bouncing Souls.

The procession of incredibly accomplished, riff laden rock continues with ‘In My Eyes’, a song which features some of the most poppy tropes that they’ve ever dared to land upon. They certainly must be commended for their inability to be deterred from completely overhauling their sound, particularly to such an extent that could lead to discontent among their fanbase. Whilst this collection may not have been thought possible upon their slacker pop based debut, it’s every bit as vital and undeniably enjoyable.

‘So Unaware’ verges upon existentialism, as she muses upon the very nature of both the world as she perceives it and those that she associates with; before ‘When Will I Change’ depicts the group wearing the influence of The Cure circa Disntegration firmly upon their sleeves.

‘Jealousy’ is drenched in outstanding chords and led by truly rousing performance from Consentino. One thing that this record has definitely expressed and will ingrain as irrefutable fact is that their frontwoman possesses one of the quintessential lilts that can be found in modern guitar music, leaping from scornful and cynical to passive and ornate at the drop of a hat.

One of the LP’s standouts, ‘California Nights’ sees the classic sensibilities of pop and shoegaze meet at a crossroads in a manner that hasn’t been documented since The Verve’s landmark A Northern Soul.

‘Run Through My Head’ displays one of the densest and most hard-edged riffs that they’ve ever crafted, however it is wonderfully contrasted by the use of new wave aping synth and a remarkably catchy chorus, before ‘Sleep Won’t Ever Come’ sees Bethany and fellow founding member Bobb Bruno nod to the sound of The Only Place with its saccharine whimsy and inescapable charm.

Closing what is a highly enjoyable record, ‘Wasted Time’ does so in a dreamlike and utterly transfixing fashion, leaving listeners pining for what further fruits their new sound may bear.