Beach Bunny Leaves Us Totally Crushing on “Cloud 9”
The post Beach Bunny Leaves Us Totally Crushing on “Cloud 9” appeared first on Consequence of Sound.
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more at our Spotify New Sounds playlist.
“Reconstructive surgery can’t fix my anxiety,” sings Lili Trifilio on Beach Bunny’s 2018 single “Painkiller”, a nice amalgam of Courtney Barnett plumbing her own neuroses for a hook and Frankie Cosmos’ crunchy conception of twee as punk. And after three EPs with the thematic titles Crybaby, Pool Party, and Prom Queen, her band give us the latest taste of next month’s debut full-length, Honeymoon, with the even-better “Cloud 9”, which hones the time-honored anxious-crush-sugar-rush conceit into something more driving.
(Buy: Tickets to Upcoming Beach Bunny Shows)
“Cloud 9” is a love song stricken with impostor syndrome. In 2020, these things open with an apology: “I don’t want to seem the way I do.” But w/e, “I’m confident when I’m with you,” Trifilio sings immediately after. Her quaver rises on the high-bubbling chorus following couplet after couplet of bad things made better by the good thing, which of course is the “he” in question, who’s also “you.” As in, “you will always be my favorite boy,” and hey, that’s pretty sweet of her. The rhythmic tension is what really makes this bubblegum blow, what really gives Trifilio’s singing the edge like she had a choice between blurting these words out or throwing up in her mouth a little. That’s quite prom queen of her, no?
For Fans Of: People who miss Allo Darlin’ and want Tacocat to get more love from the alt-rock world (hi!). And if you loved Sir Babygirl’s exemplary DIY-Kesha mini-opus Crush on Me last year, you’ll be down with Beach Bunny’s ultra-hooky high-school … brand (for lack of a better word).
Best Moment: The rumbling bass and handclaps that build and briefly signal the caramel-corn explosion of that chorus. In fact, Anthony Vaccaro’s tense, spidery bridge will convince you that bass in a twee-pop-punk tune isn’t kids’ stuff at all. In just two-and-a-half minutes, there’s a whole lot of spring and release here.
Where to Go from Here: Whet your appetite for the full-length in February and catch up on the stomping “Ms. California” and its shimmering chorus, which isn’t entirely un-reminiscent of Katy Petty’s “California Gurls”. Set the stage for your summer soundtrack early.
Don’t Miss These Other Great Songs This Week: Poppy’s unprecedented blend of guttural nu-metal and effervescent J-Pop (among other things) takes a turn for the Marilyn Manson on the industrial-charged “Anything Like Me”, from her album I Disagree, out today. Hook-addicted singer-songwriter Caroline Rose is becoming quite the genre-jumper herself with the irresistible, funky(!) “Feel the Way I Want”, which HAIM would’ve killed to write. And we’re expecting big things from Soccer Mommy’s follow-up, Color Theory, if new single “Circle the Drain” is any indication.
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Beach Bunny Leaves Us Totally Crushing on “Cloud 9”
Matt Melis
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