What’s next in the way of music being shown to us by the Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno combination? One always fears that after having a standout debut record that the sophomore edition can be a bit lacking, but there’s no need to even put that idea in your head with The Only Place.
Straight away we’re being surrounded by the title track and the passion Cosentino shares for her home state. This is something she’s been hardly shy about in the past; even using the label, west is best. When you’ve got her charming vocals portraying vivid imagery in your head - “Why would you live anywhere else?” it’s hard not to agree with her.
A song in particular that stands out and yells for your undivided attention is How They Want Me To Be. Going as far to say this song is the growing melancholy that has developed from the upbeat chilled out sounds in Crazy For You may be a stretch too far. This is a tale of a young woman’s attempts at growing into an adult, bottling up angst and the general hard times that can be experienced in an ever-complicated human life.
Adopting a producer who’s shown a strong track record in regards to creating albums, not only making up numbers, but also displaying acclaim is a sign of Best Coast’s maturity. Jon Brion’s résumé speaks for itself and paid dividends in bringing the world a more polished adaption of those rebellious vocals Cosentino has become renowned for. In true Beatles-esque fashion there’s several short length songs equalling a running time on this record coming in at just over 30 minutes, much the same as the previous release.
It has been worth the wait to see the song writing talents grow through what can possibly be defined through a stringent touring schedule mixed with those Californian music groups that shaped the lives of both Cosentino and Bruno. This is an evolution of sorts from what the audience may be used to, but is a positive form of change.
