Release Date: June 18, 2013
Trip Trap Attack opens with a giggle and echoed percussion before the introduction of the remaining instrumentation and vocals. The debut album from Beach Day possesses a lo-fi, surfer-esque vibe reminiscent of a Californian summer night.
The trio from Florida consists of lead vocals/guitarist Kimmy Drake, vocals/bassist Nathalie Smallish, and drummer Skyler Black. Trip Trap Attack is enjoyable, and Beach Day’s classic surfer sound sets it apart from similar bands like Best Coast or Cults.
Drake has an unexpected and diverse voice that is combined with keyboards, tambourine, distinct drum beats, and a rockabilly guitar style. Beach Day produces a fun and unique sound that is particularly melodic.
The trio is strongly influenced by surf rock and girl garage rock from the 1960s, but updates the sound with more intricate instrumentation, making Trip Trap Attack quite engaging. About a third of the songs on the album include guitar solos that serve as intriguing breaks in the band’s jovial sound.
The album is only about 33 min long with 11 tracks, but each is captivating in its own way.
The tracks “Stay,” “Little Weird,” and “We’ve Gotta Go” each are exemplary of different aspects of Beach Day’s sound. “Stay” is very upbeat, features a keyboard, and has lyrics about love and relationships, a consistent theme of Trip Trap Attack. “Little Weird” starts just as quickly as it ends, with a running time of just under two minutes. The track’s peppy rhythms and hand claps make dancing seem like the only appropriate response.
“We’ve Gotta Go” is the closing track to Trip Trap Attack, and subtly stands out from the rest of the album. The vocals are deeper, and the guitar weighs down the track a little differently than some of the airier melodies. Beach Day dips into garage rock territory with this tune.
The lyrics throughout Trip Trap Attack are minimal, often repeating the same few lines over and over, with the exception of “Seventeen,” which tells a bit of a story.
At times, the simplicity is perfect, well suited to the style of the music, and makes logistical sense considering a song’s length; however, at times the album rests too heavily on being fun to have much substance.
“It’s a beach day, baby, and I’m coming to pick you up/I’ve got some change in my pocket and I’m coming to pick you up/I don’t care what we do/’cause we’ve got nothing to lose/Beach day, baby, and I’m coming to pick you up,” are an entire quarter of the lyrics of the appropriately titled track “Beach Day.” Even though the lyrics are minimal, they mesh well with the band’s instrumentation.
Beach Day manages to produce a rich sound thick with vintage influences updated for a 2013 audience.
The album from start to finish is a slight time warp, but it flows smoothly from one track to the next.The youthful album instantly conjures imagery of being on a beach for a day in the sun. Trip Trap Attack is a solid debut for Beach Day. The tan lines may fade, but this album will last beyond the summer nights.
Beach Day – Trip Trap Attack tracklist:
- “Walking On The Streets”
- “Boys”
- “Beach Day”
- “Stay”
- “Seventeen”
- “Trip Trap Attack”
- “Little Weird”
- “Come Back To Me”
- “Wasting All My Time”
- “Am I The Only One”
- “We’ve Gotta Go”
