Posted by The Baron in 2010, Album Review | 0 Comments
Album Review| King of the Beach by Wavves
When recently speaking with a dear friend about the new Wavves album King of the Beach, he presented the undeniable similarity in sound to Jay Reatard, which of course is somewhat expected considering Nathan Williams adopted the recently orphaned backing band consisting of drummer Billy Hayes and bassist Stephen Pope (although its worth acknowledging that Williams very well could be the one being adopted, for now I’m calling it symbiotic). But whether to take Wavves’ less distorted and more punctuated sound as something somewhat plagiarist or as artistic evolution is definitely something worth pondering for yourself.
Williams embarking on his third album was at a make or break point in his career, he was under the microscope as much as an independently signed fuzz pop-ist could be. With Williams most recent headlines being only of aborted tours and emotional fall-outs with bandmates and more importantly himself, he had to deliver on his third installment or risk being thrown under the bus by the all too eager haters of the blogosphere (take M.I.A for example). And while I hate to look too far into anything but the music of an artist its unavoidable, especially in any sub-genre of pop, and in Williams’ case its too interesting and ingrained in the music not to speculate.
Williams’ music previously relied heavily on isolated lyrical themes but equally as much on fuzzy nostalgia, reminiscent of a fading fond memory muddled by life’s current dilemmas. And while much of the same is dripping off King it’s easy to see that Williams’ newfound band has provided him with an opportunity to provide a greater contrast between his dark and lighthearted sides. King of the Beach is Wavves most versatile album, where his first two albums left you in a dark haze lyrically and musically, King of the Beach provides most of the optimism and nostalgia in it’s composition, allowing Williams to indulge more frequently in his insecurities and to ultimately confront his innermost angst on the mic. Most remarkably he does this while keeping it very punk and not over indulging into a therapy session album. Billy Hayes and Stephen Pope not only help Wavves’ sound evolve (which is essential, especially on a third Lp) but seemingly became the friends Williams needed to grow out of his downward-spiral.
King of the Beach begins with thrashing punk arrogance on the opening title track and “Linus Spacehead” where Williams paints himself as a daydreaming demigod of the beach. The album then begins to shift into dazed summer synth’s (most notable “Baseball Cards”), and while the first third of the album struggles to simultaneously plant it’s feet, it sets up themes that Williams becomes increasingly comfortable fusing into each track. By the middle of the album he’s found neutral ground between punk egotism and stoned reflection, that carry the album.
On “Take On the World” Williams reflects on some all too relatable problems, singing “I hate myself man, but whose to blame” and “I still hate my music, it’s all the same.” These lines are his most brilliant artistic progression yet, he manages with each line to criticize himself, while at the same time coming closer, if not completely surpassing his inner qualms. In acknowledging his criticism he transcends it, but even cleverer he taunts his critics by following each line with a regressive coo that trademark his previous albums.
“Idiot” and “Green Eyes” act as a two part tale of hatred with “Idiot” portraying his self-conscious paranoia where he ultimately blames himself and “Green Eyes” where Williams gives a big fuck you to everyone who he feels has given him his feelings of inadequacy, but his confidence may be fleeting due to him banking on another to fill the void. Initially the two songs seem to abandon his new-found maturity on “Take On the World”, but in actuality Williams is indulging each side of his personality. Williams comes off as a man beginning to take responsibility for himself as well as recognizing how hard it’ll be to no longer indulge in his responsibility free lifestyle he’s been so accustom to.
As King of the Beach winds down Williams refocuses his attention on having simple-minded fun like smoking weed and playing Nintendo, and eventually ends the Lp with an optimistic look at his uncertain future. Ultimately King of the Beach is a major step forward for Williams and Wavves, Williams challenges himself but remains enjoyably relatable, and while King of the Beach doesn’t completely come full circle it is a very pivotal step in the evolution of a band that I can see being very influential for this and upcoming generations of music.
mp3: Wavves- Baseball Cards
mp3: Wavves- Take On the World
mp3: Wavves- Green Eyes
