I always find it somewhat amusing when a band name allows you to accurately predict what the band sounds like. These days you see a band with the word Bear in it and viola! you know that it's going to be moody, laden with atmospheric reverb, and somewhat avant-garde. Same with Beach, which makes you think that the music will be sunny, mellow, and drenched in distant echoing reverb. Obviously these stereotypes are thanks to the most popular bands who used these words in their names (it should be obvious who, I say, with my nose held high in the air).

So Beach Fossils sounds like, of course, a lazy day spent lounging on the beach in cool weather, stoned, and laughing about how ridiculous life is. Are the songs about this? I don't know, I don't think I could understand the singer if I tried really hard, and that's OK. This is almost background music, a good driving album to have a pleasant conversation over.

I don't think I could be a big fan of Beach Fossils, and I kind of feel like I can't imagine anyone being a super fan or anything, but it's good music and I'm sure this summer this'll get spun at least a few times on drives into or around San Diego. I'd say pretty much all the songs on the album are of the same caliber, making this one of those rare albums that's actually good all the way through.

As always, YMMV.

Site Note: HTML5 players for iPhone and iPad users are properly integrated now and look quite nice. Unfortunately they don't work on Android phones without Flash, and I don't know why. It doesn't work in Opera either, but I figure with support for Flash and HTML5 there isn't a way you can't possibly hear the music. HTML5 player looks wonky at times on the iPad depending on your zoom level but I figure that is to be expected.