Best Coast have built an identity out of sunny, hummable tunes with broadly relatable themes. Sweet, sugary three-minute sonic morsels inexorably linked to the youthful, laid back lifestyle that is arguably SoCal’s most important cultural export. As New York is deep in the throes of our annual seasonal depression Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno are set to bring a little sunshine into our lives with the release of their latest album, Always Tomorrow, set to hit turntables and streaming platforms next month.
In spooling up for the release the band has begun to drop a couple videos in support of the lead singles, the second of which is a sassy little number reminiscent of Joan Jett’s tough girl guitar anthems with a brightly cynical twist.
Directed and produced by FIDLAR visual collaborators Ryan and Alice Baxley with art direction by FIDLAR’s Brandon Schwartzel and featuring the cast of reality TV dumpster fire Vanderpump Rules, “Everything Has Changed” neatly dissects the toxic cultural fascination with overnight success and material wealth within the framework of a tacky syndicated TV game show.
The video’s concept posits that the most visibly successful people have achieved everything based on luck but that their trappings of prosperity gifted by the fates are as flimsy and artificial as cheap studio sets on a Hollywood back lot. In contrast to the purposefully outmoded visuals are Cosentino’s lyrics, in which she describes her own personal levels of success that are not that far removed from the manufactured goals of The American DreamTM: a nice house, a stable relationship, a little dog on a leash. While the endpoint may be the same, the path upon which Cosentino tread to get there was not easy, instead marked by hard work and dedication to staying the course with her band and her art. Now that she’s arrived at her destination her life is different but exactly as she always envisioned, “everything has changed, but I like it this way,” and the value placed in the signifiers of her success is that much more substantial than the game show giveaways of her Vanderpump neighbors.
FIDLAR and Best Coast don’t necessarily have a lot of sonic overlap, and maybe even not necessarily a lot of fanbase overlap, but the pairing of Schwartzel and the Baxleys with Cosentino and Bruno on this video is a sublime example of seemingly disparate factions of a local scene joining forces on a project that furthers the vision and creativity of everyone involved. Ryan Baxley had previously crafted a very intimate portrait of an extremely pissed off Nick Offerman going justifiably off the rails in FIDLAR’s 2013 video “Cocaine”, and that narrative arc is mirrored in “Everything Has Changed.” The sentiment is similar, a fierce refusal to be defined by someone else’s vision for your life and how to take control for oneself, a strong quality for anyone working on making it as an artist, musician, or any chosen profession. The advantage within a scene or network or what-have-you is that nobody is necessarily on their own. Recognizing the strengths and abilities of fellow members of a community will ultimately benefit everyone involved, opening up a path toward each individual’s personally defined measure of success.
So even though it’s cold and grey outside and spring seems like a lifetime away, put Best Coast’s sunny Cali vibes in your headphones and check in with your friends on what projects they’re working on. Pitch in if you can, or suggest a recommendation of someone else that could help. Get out there and haul some gear, hold a flashlight, or mix some paint. We’re all gonna make it, and we’re gonna do it together.
Always Tomorrow is out February 21st via Concord Records. Follow Best Coast on Instagram and see them live March 18th at Brooklyn Steel.
