BEVERLY is the beachy brainchild of Avan Lava’s Drew Citron and former Vivian Girls drummer Frankie Rose. Their debut LP, Careers, just dropped on Kanine records, with ten tracks that nod to 90s lo-fi pop.
Citron, Beverly’s principal songwriter, clearly takes a lot of cues from The Breeders and The Amps, not just in terms of songcraft but tonally as well — from the warm, over-driven guitars to the restrained double vocals to the understated rhythm section. The result is a band that leans heavily on its influences. But the songs are well composed and are sure to appeal to any Kim Deal fan who doesn’t find them too derivative.
The vocal and guitar textures are what really pop on Careers. There aren’t a lot of prominent vocal hooks — which helps give these tracks a nice non-commercial feel — but each features carefully planned harmonies and oohs and aahs that leave plenty to latch onto. Of course, that’s not to say there aren’t catchy, memorable lines. The record has its share of those moments, too, like the looping choruses in “All The Things” and “You Can’t Get It Right,” and the naked refrain in the lead single, “Honey Do.”
Equally evocative are the guitars: the twinkling riffs on “Madora,” “All The Things,” and “Yale’s Life,” and the piercing fuzz on “Ambular” are some of the most distinct elements on the record. The major-minor chord changes help set the songs apart also. Rather than hanging on a simple, recognizable progression, songs like “Out On A Ride” and “Honey Do” contain some pleasantly unpredictable shifts. Get your dose of this fuzz-filled pop by listening to the single below.
Genre/ Tags: Pop, Post-Punk, Lo-Fi
Careers LP: Tracklist:
1.) Madora
2.) Honey Do
3.) Planet Birthday
4.) All the Things
5.) Yale’s Life
6.) Ambular
7.) Out on a Ride
8.) Hong Kong Hotel
9.) You Can’t Get It Right
10.) Black and Grey
Styrofoam Drone 