Wavves - King of the Beach

Sound-a-likes: Jay Reatard, Surfer Blood, Free Energy, Male Bonding

There's no doubt that Nathan Williams is a decent song writer, and this shines on songs like When Will You Come, Baseball Cards, and Mickey Mouse, which stick out from all the noisy, guitar-rock happening, long enough to keep me interested and make the album more diverse. However, some of the vocals and lyrics on King of the Beach tend to come off as a little bratty and irritating, like on the chorus of Post Acid, or in the songs Take On the World and Green Eyes; "I still hate my music, it's all the same......my own friends hate my guts, so what, who gives a fuck". I just wish he'd lighten up a bit and/or write better lyrics.

And I know Williams wanted to make a different record when he adopted Jay Reatard's old backing band, but I'll admit, I miss the fuzz and lo-fi. It's what made his second album Wavvves so original and embracing to me. But regardless, this is still a fun record, and his ability to write catchy, empty-headed surf rock tunes still makes King of the Beach worth a listen.

For those of you who, like me, enjoy the distorted side of Wavves, problem solved.



-Julian