BEST COAST @ Echoplex

coldcave

Synth-pop, post punk, new wave, atmospheric industrial– all these references, which came and went and were fashionable again a half-decade ago, somehow manage to feel fresh here. It’s probably because the songs on Love Comes Close are consistently catchy and well constructed– once you have that down, genre concerns become secondary. Still, these are some awfully icy landscapes, and Cold Cave do have a way with mood. Take, for instance, opener “Cebe and Me”, which exhibits a pulsing, Ambien-addled dry cold that threatens to wear thin if over-exercised. But this track turns out to be an entry-level teaser, as album highlight “Love Comes Close” chimes in right on time, an inspired, bittersweet New Order-style dance-pop track that’s as morose as it is curiously uplifting, constantly refreshing itself on that earworm of a guitar hook. From here on out, Love evens out, outfitting those creepy, dead-eyed synthetics in more pop-friendly garb. – Pitchfork

with:
Smith Westerns
Best Coast || Listen

@ Echoplex
enter at
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026