Album Review: Camper Van Beethoven - La Costa Perdida

Camper Van Beethoven exist in a strange realm in modern music. Their '80s work foreshadowed virtually all modern alternative pop rock of the '90s, and they kind of dropped off the radar after that. Their last album, 2004's conceptual New Roman Times, was more interesting than successful. So how does their second album of original material since 1989 stand up?

Opening tune, Come Down The Coast, is the relaxed '90s slacker rock they always influenced but never quite performed themselves. Combined with the second, slightly rockier track, Too High For The Love-In, we see the two sides of what Camper Van Beethoven have always been about; Californian relaxation and quasi drug-influenced-sounding pop rock. But the band is much older now, and as an opening, these amateurish sounding songs are not the best omen.

Things pick up a little from there, though, with album highlight, You Got To Roll, being a fun rocker, easily fitting into the psychedelic punk grooves of the band's mid-'80s efforts. Though the Beach Boy pop attempt in Northern California Girls is cringe worthy and agonisingly long at seven minutes.

There's nothing wrong with a hard-edged band taking a more relaxed songwriting approach, especially in their later years – but when the band were honestly never that hard edged or outstanding to begin with, a 'roots' album is risky. Rather than showing a more honest and personable side to the band, these ten tracks soon become radio-friendly background noise. There are highlights, sure, but even fans will find it hard to see this record as anything other than a pseudo-contemplative, lazy and all too safe 43 minutes.