II
We’re not sure if there\'s anyone left in Brooklyn who\'s not in a band, but another name to add to the “Wow, Brooklyn” list is the trio Nude Beach. Its music has a ragged, denim-wrapped feel, falling somewhere between American post-punk like The Replacements and The Hold Steady and the best commercial rock of the last 40 years (think Petty, Springsteen). However, both ends of the spectrum are clearly seasoned with early-‘80s power pop, and that’s not an easy thing to do. On the track “Cathedral Echoes,” the band sounds like it\'s playing in some dank, sticky-floored club in 1982: a trio of young scruffy guys wondering if they’re more Johnny Thunders or Rockpile, guitars blazing with a jangly edge that oozes melody. Singer/guitarist Chuck Betz’s sandpaper voice morphs easily from a strained croon reminiscent of Elvis Costello (“Loser in the Game”) into a Tom Petty yelp (“Love Can’t Wait”), but on songs like “Radio” and “Some Kinda Love,” he’s just a damn good rock singer with a short fuse. Drummer Ryan Naideau and bassist Jimmy Shelton provide a solid anchor for Betz’s fertile guitar work, and together they deliver a stompin’ good time.
The Brooklyn trio's latest record was created with the belief that a trebly guitar riff, a no-bullshit drum beat, and a heart-melting chorus can still rip out the hearts of hopeless romantics young and old.
The Brooklyn trio's latest record was created with the belief that a trebly guitar riff, a no-bullshit drum beat, and a heart-melting chorus can still rip out the hearts of hopeless romantics young and old.
This is deliberately dumb pop music for boozy singalongs and car stereos. To over-analyse it would be to completely take the fun away.
This is deliberately dumb pop music for boozy singalongs and car stereos. To over-analyse it would be to completely take the fun away.
Nude Beach has been kicking around Brooklyn for four years now, with a couple DIY albums to its name, but this re-release of its stellar II might raise its profile.
Nude Beach has been kicking around Brooklyn for four years now, with a couple DIY albums to its name, but this re-release of its stellar II might raise its profile.