Bethany Cosentino: Natural Disaster review – a bright, engaging solo debut

After spending most of her adult life as half of US indie duo Best Coast, Bethany Cosentino has gone solo. Over the years, Best Coast’s albums became increasingly glossy and extroverted, and Cosentino carries that energy into this debut. Her bright, perky voice is front and centre on these dozen songs, mostly 80s or 90s pop-rock with a hint of Nashville, and she sings engagingly about topics clearly close to her heart. There’s climate, motherhood, mortality and musings on love, with a depth that’s a long way from the starry-eyed shallows of Best Coast classics like Boyfriend.

Mostly, this works well, with subtle touches broadening Natural Disaster’s basic pop sound, such as the title track’s nicely seesawing riff, or the muted solo and supportive harmonies on My Own City. Perhaps the slightly stentorian tone of Cosentino’s vocals is at odds with the fragility of some lyrics – she sounds pretty much invulnerable whether celebrating love, or admitting she never thought she’d be worthy of it. Still, when she stretches herself, as on piano ballad Easy or the moody alt-country of Real Life, it feels as if she has a real future on her own.