Pastel Coast – Sunset
All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun, former film critic turned world-class director Jean-Luc Godard is claimed to have said. The thing is that for all the refinement of the craft of moviemaking, the old saying remains true. However clever the plot and good the acting, stories need a hero and a spicy conflict. The girl and the gun are the easiest way to go about this.
Now, rock music is much the same, especially when it comes to the art of music video making. There’s a reason why that Whitesnake video with Tawny Kitaen doing a ballet routine on the hood of an Aston Martin continues to be referenced, usually parodied, even today. Play into your strength and your public’s expectations, and you’re bound to get somewhere!
French indie-pop unit Pastel Coast knows this and, well, create the most French-looking and sounding video and tune one might expect. They provide pretty, sophisticated melodies and a young, bratty vibe. There’s also a girl lounging, bored by the sea. And, much like indie-pop itself, it all feels like it’s made by people that are bored with being rich and looking good. It’s the furthest thing there is to punk. Sunset is a pretty indie-pop gem that will make its listeners long for summer out by the beach.
The Spins – Vibe Police
What did young musicians do before soft-sounding indie-pop bands? Why many of them got lured into the unpredictable world of punk rock. Even less suited, some of them learned music theory, dressed in funny outfits, and played in prog-rock combos. Worst of all, a minority were forced to act touch while crunching out heavy metal tunes.
Indie pop/rock is a safe haven for musicians that appreciate textures, sophistication, pleasant melodies, and, I betcha, long walks on the beach. They are usually clean, stay away from the hard stuff and make their audience happy, rarely straying away from the sounds that put them on the map. You may scoff, but indie-pop stars make more people happy than your Krautrock-meets-disco band!
The Spins’ Vibe Police, of the group’s debut album, is all of those things. It’s an autumnal tune moody and well designed. It’s the kind of music the band members will never be ashamed of admitting they made and something their parents may enjoy as well—nice folks making nice music.
