Beach Tower – Another Beach Tower EP

Readers of buffaBLOG – by now, you should already know that when a Fredonia local band releases new music, it’s bound to be noteworthy. Coming off a short hiatus, Beach Tower has large shoes to fill (or should I say, fuzzy crocs), after their intriguing first album If We Make It To May. It’s safe to say that you should slip on some of your own fuzzy footwear and prepare yourself for a surfy, pop punk sensation with their long awaited follow up, simply and wonderfully titled, Another Beach Tower EP.
Before we even dive into this album, for fans of other Fredonia locals such as HitGRL and Ryan Terry Family Band, I suggest you drop everything and go listen to this latest release IMMEDIATELY! Fun fact, Ryan Terry of Beach Tower is also in both bands making for an extremely recognizable sound that screams “this is Ryan Terry on guitar.”
From the jump, the album throws you an energetic twist with a sound something similar to that of Micheal Cera Palin vs. Summerbruise (or the aforementioned HitGRL). In the intro track “Fuzzy Crocs!,” The song thrusts you into the sun with its California surf rock guitar licks that are warmly complimented by groovy and dynamic drum hits. One might also enjoy the upbeat nature of the track, especially the tones of existential happiness.
One of my personal favorite tracks on Another Beach Tower EP is track two, “Harper.” The song, though very much darker and slower than the opener track, picks up the slack with a groovy guitar melody, accompanied by subtle and jazzy drum chops, and a cleverly placed reference to The Beatles’ Rubber Soul in the first verse:
“Told the spirits to give up all around my earthly body
But note to all disc jockeys
That I’ve got a Korean copy Of Rubber Soul
That I might just keep for myself”
There’s lots more to enjoy from Beach Tower on this EP – song three, “Dan Flashes,” dives deep into surf rock territory, with staccato lyrics delivered at spitfire speed. Fuzzed-out guitar and bass propel this one forward at breakneck speed, culminating in an impassioned yelp. Tempo changes come in droves here, as a sunbaked bridge slows things down to a turgid crawl before inevitably exploding into a brain melting punk rock finish. Finally, the album closes with the Midwest-emo-tinged “Hi & Bye,” which could fit comfortably on an early Sunny Day Real Estate EP. Even as the EP’s ballad, this song is surprisingly heartfelt – even if the band is ironically donning a fresh pair of fuzzy crocs, they can still create something sincere and beautiful.
This EP as a whole does not disappoint – for the pop punk or indie rock junkie (or any local Fredonian), this album is a must-listen. You can listen to this wonderfully-crafted piece on Spotify, Apple Music or Bandcamp and make it an addition to your pop punk or surf rock playlists.
Categorised in: Album Reviews, New Music
This post was written by London Nickolai