Bethany Cosentino gets revealing and reflective on Natural Disaster
"Natural Disaster"
Best Coast broke in 2009 with a perfectly pitched combination of 60s girl group melodies on a backdrop of blown-out 90s alternative.
14 years later, singer Bethany Cosentino’s first solo record sees her forge a new path. Granted, she hasn’t moved too far across the dial – from Weezer and Dinosaur Jr to the pop country of Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt – but the quasi-mellowing has opened the door for revealing, reflective work.
Cosentino’s great songwriting strength is her knack for punchy, declarative lyrics which cut through the fat and stick deep. The subject matter has matured – we’re not singing about weed and cats anymore – but she’s no less handy with a bon mot. Lead single “It’s Fine” opens “Imagine if I handled this shit like I used to,” before telling the subject – or her fanbase – “I am evolved / You’ve stayed the same”.
Self-deprecation has always been in Cosentino’s wheelhouse, but the joker of Best Coast’s early days has been replaced by a pensive adult. “I know the past doesn’t go away / Parts of it always stay / And turn into shadows,” she sings on the Springsteen-esque “My Own City”. There’s an understated fatalism to much of the album, not least the title track which incurs visions of a human-led climate crisis.
This makes Natural Disaster’s breezier moments even more of a blast. The immediate highlight is “Calling On Angels”, a brash country rocker complete with a twanging riff and the stickiest chorus of 2023 thus far. It’s a blisteringly fun summer jam, to the point that it’ll be a tragedy if the record doesn’t drop on a scorching day of endless blue skies. Failing to crank this one at a barbecue or on a long drive will soon be a capital crime.
The downtempo tunes are a little hit-and-miss. Natural Disaster ends on a poignant note with the stark “I’ve Got News For You”. It’s Cosentino unadulterated, and her normally boisterous voice sounds great in such close, vulnerable confines. The more polished “It’s A Journey” fares less well; it sounds like an earnest attempt at breaking country radio and relies too heavily on cliche and an overbearing mandolin.
Ultimately, though, it’s impossible to knock the commitment or the ambition. Cosentino knew exactly what kind of sparkling, big-hearted album she wanted to make, and the combination of her acidity and producer Butch Walker’s polish delivers way more often than not. For all its pomp and broad appeal, it brims with the artist’s personality and is a delight to connect with.
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