January 11th, 2013 
Josh Hammond 
Artist: Beach Fossils
Album: Clash the Truth
Genre: Indie, Lo-Fi, Surf-rock
Label: Captured Tracks
Musically speaking, Dustin Payseur is anything but lazy. The proof is right there on the mix of Clash the Truth, the sophomore release from pet project Beach Fossils. The album shoulders enough strong musical structures to demand notice while suggesting just the right amount of independence to keep the Pitchfork generation from crying “sellout.”
With hipster credibility and 1980s structure, the album’s lo-fi and DIY signatures that suture the singles together make it easy to toss out phrases like “vintage” and “throwback.” The album’s title track, for example, possesses enough glimmers of Modern English similarities to make the indie-dance kids get off their ass and do The Smurf.
But don’t fool yourself into thinking that Beach Fossils is scheming to simply get rich quick on the coattails of the pretentiously popular Vampire Weekend surf-rock sound. Soaking in depth and coated with complexities, this album is far from an attempt at a carbon-copy career. It is truly something rather special.
The manner in which the album is presented to listeners is unique in and of itself. Composed as more of a performance exposed in three parts, Clash the Truth takes on an epic personality. Each of the three acts is interrupted by instrumental breakdowns (i.e. “Modern Holiday” and “Brighter”). These cuts remind me a bit of the vibe that Smashing Pumpkins aimed for on the track “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.” However, throughout the whole of the album the faded and distant vocals take a backseat to the impressive and massive instrumentation jammed into the project. With endlessly repetitive hooks and a straightforward, no bullshit rhythm section, the album is deep in its ability to be catchy.
“Generation Sythetic” lets the bass take the spotlight, while rich marching drums conflict flawlessly with the song’s smooth guitar breakdowns. “Careless” follows suit, though it manages to build on the listener’s overall experience through a series of unpredictable twitches and shifts. Most notably, though, is the manner in which the album lingers into a very organic and natural place. “Sleep Apnea” most notably stands out in this aspect, feeling unforced and free to evolve however it sees fit. I feel confident in the fact that Dustin Payseur could play these songs for me in his living room from the comfort of his Heywood Wakefield couch and little change or difference would be noticed. The tracks flow with such a natural path that they seem to be improvisational brilliance, not carefully articulated compositions.
That is the kind of stuff that creates legends, right? There is a certain element of effortlessness in the finest and most cherished gems in our record collections. While it is far too early to toss Dustin Payseur into conversations with David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and Johnny Cash, there is room to admit that every artist has to start somewhere.
Clash the Truth, in my humble opinion, is one hell of a jumping-off point for Beach Fossils.
SCORE: 8/10
Written by: Joshua Hammond
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