Luckily, the band's self-titled debut is very impressive, raising the band's profile above the masses of like-minded lo-fi bands struggling to do their thing. With jingle-jangle guitars and surf-tinged rhythms, Beach Fossils don't have a revolutionary sound -- yet it is one that is instantly enjoyable and brutally clean. The credit is due to Dustin Payseur, who is the mastermind behind both the band and its label, Captured Tracks.
His simple, stark songwriting and knack for crisp, inspired composition come together to form Beach Fossils' light, wonderful debut album. Unfortunately, many won't be able to get past the band's name and their locale, but Payseur's Beach Fossils wholeheartedly prove just why Brooklyn is the epicenter for so many up-and-coming, talented musicians.
Pitchfork: If you've followed indie's trade winds over the past year and a half, you can probably predict what a Brooklyn band called Beach Fossils sounds like to a staggeringly accurate degree. In this case, please set aside the prejudices: Beach Fossils aren't merely trying to evoke the feeling of sand between your toes, and even if you think you've mentally checked out of anything summery and lo-fi, this is a wonderful record. Dustin Payseur's Captured Tracks band claims influence from improvisational jazz, classical music, and Stereolab, and his songwriting owes more to loop-based composition than garage-bound woodshedding. From the functionality of the song titles on down, Beach Fossils has purpose and economy. It's built on cleanly picked single notes stacked over complementary bass patterns and unobtrusive drums.
