Classifying music by genre is an extremely useful tool for judging the caliber of creativity of a song or piece. Genres create a chain of sonic breadcrumbs, which allow listeners to retrace and discover where their favorite sounds come from. Not to mention, it’s exciting when innovators create music that seem to fit in multiple genres at once.
Beach Baby is not one such group of genre-bending pioneers. Their sound fits comfortably under the label modern indie. Throughout the majority of their new album “No Mind No Money,” the lead guitar maintains a flanger-fueled tone, often recalling the sounds of indie icon and contemporary, Mac DeMarco. There are points on the album when this particular guitar tone begins to feel gimmicky, but Beach Baby’s ability to write strong choruses provides just enough deviation to avoid monotony.
The driving bass sticks out next, bouncing its way through nearly every track. Featuring the bass relatively prominently in the mix has helped define indie music for years, ever since The Smiths’ bassist Andy Rourke began using the technique more than three decades ago.
Another hallmark of indie music is a crescendo-like change in volume from verse to chorus. Beach Baby often keeps the verse quiet then explodes loudly into the chorus, a concept popularized by bands such as The Pixies and a tried-and-true method for maintaining attention.
On a song-by-song basis, Beach Baby succeeds in delivering a multitude of successful melodies, starting off with the powerful opener “Limousine” and ending with the melancholic “How Lucky You Are.” The band also triumphs in tastefully incorporating modulated guitar to create both densely lush and sparsely comforting soundscapes.
At times Beach Baby sounds like a clear fusion of the Vaccines and Mac DeMarco, especially on the song “Smoke Won’t Get Me High.” However, the main distinction between Beach Baby and the countless other up-and-coming bands riding the trendy, modern indie wave is their ability to copy with style.
In conclusion, “No Mind No Money” does not provide much by way of originality. But for decent modern indie with good pop appeal, look no further.
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