Spectreview: Beach Fossils – The Other Side of Life: Piano Ballads

Released: November 19, 2021

Jazz
(Indie)

-OLIVE-

For a guide to the review color rating system, click here.

One of the most common criticisms historically levied at Beach Fossils is that they refused to evolve at the same pace as their contemporaries. But the breezy, scrappy vibe of their now-decade-old debut has now assimilated into all of the rest of its ilk, critically praised or not, into one featherweight milquetoast paste likely to appear after your Spotify queue ends, so who’s laughing now? And to their credit, 2017’s summery, eclectic (for Beach Fossils) Somersault did see the band trying out a new avenue, to very successful results. If what Dustin Payseur and company have demonstrated after ten years of releases isn’t evident, they’re truly committed to what works for them. In the end, what does it matter?

That commitment is what’s so comforting, and simultaneously disappointing, about the band’s new collection of jazzy reinterpretations. The Other Side of Life: Piano Ballads collects a handful of cuts from throughout their discography and cuts one huge trademark – jangly guitar – from the equation. The parts that remain here – brushed drums, lilting saxophone and piano – are relatively minimal, and it makes this record feel like the equivalent of an Unplugged session.

The part that hasn’t changed is Payseur’s even, alveolar-based voice, which shows up here not only in its usual coating of reverb but self-harmonized. According to Payseur, the decision was meant to link the band’s original releases with this new avenue. While fans of the band will likely appreciate the comfort proffered by its familiarity, it ends up breaking the illusion – and, by extension, part of the purpose – of a stripped-down lineup. Its presence shallows the new direction and solidifies The Other Side of Life as a studio creation and not a spontaneous one, which is so often the specific dimension that enlivens jazz albums. (It should be noted that, like so many pandemic projects, this was recorded remotely, but an illusion is always still real until broken.)

There’s an argument to be made, of course, that displacing the standard treatment of Payseur’s vocals wouldn’t change the general feel of the record. To its credit, The Other Side of Life is an enjoyable listen in spite of its superfluousness. It highlights both the strong skeletons of the original compositions and the natural technical skill of Tommy Gardner, one of the band’s first members and its drummer on Clash The Truth. He’s directly responsible for a significant part of the pleasure this album offers, playing every instrument except for drums and laying down breathy sax solos between choruses. Those drums are played by Henry Kwapis, who rounds out the trio with an unshowy and texturally apropos performance. And despite the comparatively soupy quality of Payseur’s vocals, the moments where he approaches starkness work well, especially the interpretations of Somersault’s “Down The Line” and What A Pleasure’s “Youth”.

Ultimately your appreciation of this record will come down for how you appreciate jazz itself. If you’re a hardcore jazz listener, you probably won’t find anything revelatory about this collection of ballads. But if you put on jazz for the aesthetic, for the feeling it gives you as you study or do dishes or walk through the city at dusk – a totally legit endeavor, by the way – you’ll find a great deal to like here. Hasn’t that essentially been Beach Fossils’ biggest asset ever since they laid down their self-titled? The ability to provide a cozy covering in all weather, sun or rain, day or night? Why expect anything else?

Recommended for the consumption of red wine.