Beach Fossils tease their newest jazz album with ‘Down The Line (Piano)’

Beach Fossils, a band strung together by Dustin Payseur, have recently announced their latest album, ‘The Other Side of Life: Piano Ballads’. This album was described by the band as “a collection of Beach Fossils’ greatest hits reimagined as jazz ballads” in an Instagram post announcing the release of the first single, ‘Down The Line (Piano)’.

When ‘Down The Line’ was first released on the band’s fourth album ‘Somersault’ in 2017, it was a standout track and became a huge success. The track is upbeat yet incredibly mellow and chilled out. The vocals are simple and effortless joined by a very tame guitar riff. The piano version keeps the light, flowing vocals while diving into an acoustic piano ballad vibe. 

Towards the end of the song, an easy saxophone is brought in to really emphasize the jazz sound. It’s mellow and ties the whole vibe together, creating a magical sense of melting away into bliss, almost completely unaware of anything else present. It’s a sophisticated take on old-school jazz and lends itself well to the incredible talents of Beach Fossils.

This song stands out not just because of the complete change in genre from the band, but it also doesn’t have a climax. The whole track simply flows from one stage to another, which is what makes it so special. It’s a strong indication that this is what we can look forward to from the entire album. There’s no fixed structure or regime in the music; it’s comfortable and smooth.

With the highly-anticipated release of ‘The Other Side of Life: Piano Ballads’ just around the corner and two singles already out so far, we can look forward to this new branch of Beach Fossils’ talents and more to come.

 

 

Anna Scrimgeour

@anna.scrim

Image: 'Down The Line (Piano)' Official Single Cover (PRESS)