In its opening bars, the title track from Beach Fossils’ sophomore album Clash The Truth bears an uncanny resemblance to the opening riff for the Sex Pistols’ “Pretty Vacant.” Thankfully, this isn’t some kind of symbolic warning as to what lies ahead. Although unremarkable in many ways, Clash The Truth is still an enjoyable listen, with a number of merits to be found amid its retrospective new wave sound.
There’s something kind of cute and charming about a band whose name fits nicely with the music they make, and this is definitely the case with Beach Fossils. Dusty guitar tones and a carefree, breezy, and lo fi style deeply inspired by bands long before them make for a certain vintage appeal.
Essentially, the album peaks way too early, and a lot of the tracks blend together. However, there is still good material. While the stripped mechanics and sparse reoccurring qualities might not leave you with enough to revisit over and over again, the shimmering melodies and sunny disposition slipping through the cracks is enough to reasonably chew over and enjoy. Despite not being as strong or as stirring as it could have been, this album certainly flirts with ideas which the band could expand upon in the future. For example, the skipping drum fills featured on tracks like “Generational Synthetic” and “Sleep Apnea” add a kind of juxtaposed crunch to the slinky surf rock guitar patterns that play against it. Although this idea and others like it aren’t quite fleshed out to any meaningful degree, the spark is there, and if Beach Fossils take the initiative going forward, they have all the potential to bulk up their sound and grow considerably as a band.