Live Review: Best Coast

“Yeah, when I'm with you I have fun,” lead singer Bethany Cosentino sings amid a sea of heavy guitar reminiscent of '60s-style pop rock to a respectably packed audience gathered in the belly of the Hi-Fi Bar, under its retro inverted concrete soffit. The young crowd, deep in summer lull and still recovering from New Year festivities, are nevertheless besotted with Cosentino's sweet but edgy vocals.

For their sojourn to Melbourne, Best Coast mainly select the faster tempo tracks from their second album release, The Only Place, which is a pity because their mellower numbers, like Up All Night and How They Want Me To Be, are the standouts. Fortunately, they include the dreamy/hazy Our Deal and with its twangy guitar riffs it's a clear nod to The Beach Boys. No One Like You is also a memorable highlight with haunting melodies and piercing riffs lifting Cosentino's adept crooning – it feels like a top hit lifted straight out of the juke box from a diner in Happy Days. The so called 'surf pop' songs are a good balance of the old and new – their harmonies cresting high but never crashing in on straight covers of the famous sounds that defined that period.

The setlist could do with a bit of a review to lend some variation, as the first four songs by way of introduction are similar in tempo and length, each lasting for less than two minutes. Midway through their performance, the tunes begin to ring homogenous and a mild sense of static permeates the air. Cosentino warmly charms the crowd towards the end by “chugging a scull” on stage, claiming cheekily that “you Aussies bring out the alcoholic in me”. Bob Bruno, the lead guitarist, channels his inner Slash by playing guitar on his knees and back during the encore.

Otherwise, the band give an above average, clean performance: Cosentino and Bruno clearly have a ball, backed proficiently by new faces on the percussion and bass. At times, Cosentino's heavy guitar strumming drowns her steady vocals, but the rest of the band show restraint. Their lyrics are full of idyllic youthful thoughts – free floating and temporary as they are – on life, love and peer pressure. It should resonate with those seeking a delicious and light soundtrack to lazy summer days.