With New Album ‘Bunny,’ Beach Fossils is Here to Stay

 

☆ BY JANET HERNANDEZ

Photo by Sinna Nasseri

 
 

IN THE EVER-SHIFTING MUSIC SCENE — few bands can be true fixtures. Trends come and go, the “in” today becomes the “out” tomorrow. Beach Fossils is the band whose discography has stood the test of time. For 15 years, they have woven themselves into the fabric of the New York City music scene. But their reach extends far beyond that, with a staggering total of seven million monthly listeners and a continuous influx of new fans drawn to their ethereal brand of indie pop.

This June, Beach Fossils marks their return with Bunny, their first studio album since 2017's Somersault. Over the past six years, the band has undergone significant transformations, and frontman Dustin Payseur isn't one to shy away from singing about it. Payseur wears his heart on his sleeve, pouring his experiences into the album’s lyrics as he grapples with the transience of life. From the complexities of fatherhood to the intricacies of friendships and the relentless pace of the city, Payseur’s lyricism is not confined to a single theme.

Instead, it embraces the vast spectrum of the human experience, capturing life's messiness and multidimensionality. Payseur allows himself the space to reflect upon it all, and listeners are invited to join him on Bunny, forging their own connections along the way.

Bunny acts as a veritable tasting platter, a sonic charcuterie board of the various styles they’ve explored on previous releases. “Numb” oscillates between melancholy and vigor —listeners can sway to Payseur’s crooning or lock in to the track’s powerful guitars.

“Don’t Fade Away,” the album’s lead single, pairs Payseur’s dreamy vocal delivery with a chorus chock-full of tambourine and jangly guitars. With the chorus “She’s novocaine / It’s all I need / To ease the pain,” Payseur says the track “is about missing old friends, being on tour, self-medicating, longing, anxiety, love, being an idiot, having fun, embracing your mistakes, and keeping your spark.”

Beach Fossils’ quintessential indie sound resonates deeply with audiences, and Bunny is no exception. Payseur and core members Tommy Davidson, Jack Doyle Smith, and Anton Hochheim have consistently put out noteworthy records, with no album slipping away from recent memory. By itself, Bunny features 11 formidable tracks. Alongside the band’s studio albums and years of live performances, Beach Fossils’ power only intensifies.

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