Beachy, fun pop has been a recurring theme and the modus operandi of any number of indie rock bands over the course of the last decade or so. Not that it ever disappeared from the time the Beach Boys laid the groundwork for the Ramones, who inspired current groups like Best Coast or The Dum Dum Girls. However, the quirky production and acoustic elements of Cayucas’ debut Bigfoot feel even more attuned to forerunners than almost any band creating this kind of summer sun indie-pop.
Despite their closer alignment with classic 60’s pop bands, Cayucas does retain their own modern edge derived primarily from quick drum work and general arrangements. The beach-seeking, wave-hunting lyrics of opener “Cayucos”—yes that’s one vowel different from the band’s name—provides a clear roadmap for the summer soundtrack that follows. The reminiscing of album highlight “High School Lover” and the introspection of one of the album’s most mature tracks “East Coast Girl” reveal the band to be a sort of post-grad take on teen music. The narrators of these songs feel like a group of surf-happy twenty-somethings who aren’t quite ready to grow up.
Consisting of only eight songs, the record does feel a little thin, but you have to admire a band for refusing to include fluff just to get to the standard 10-track length. None of the songs go on too long, but they also aren’t the incredibly short two-minute pop format that often characterizes this sort of beach pop. Most clock in a little before or just after the four-minute mark, and can claim substantial development with interesting shifts and multiple layers. These swaying melodies and gently rolling guitars are mix-tape musts.
“Summer Thing” operates as a fulcrum for the collection of songs and may be the album’s most convincing and vital track, featuring twinkling glockenspiel and a flowing background synth over percussive guitar mutes and multi-tracked vocals. Bigfoot may not push the boundary of what’s happening in indie-rock, but as a listenable album for summer road trips and warm starlit nights, it’s a clear success.
