The path to Bethany Cosentino’s solo debut began with a big question: “What the fuck am I doing with my life?” More than a decade spent as half of the acclaimed indie pop duo Best Coast left her with a lack of identity outside of the band. But then, as she notes in this album’s accompanying notes, she started asking even bigger questions, this time wondering: “What happens if you stop living your life for other people and finally subscribe to the idea that you don’t owe anyone anything, but owe yourself everything?” The answer is ‘Natural Disaster’, 12 tracks that see Cosentino embracing sunny, pop-rock jaunts that mirror the folk-rock and Americana dabbles of Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt and Jewel, in a shameless nod to larger-than-life female songwriters.
Produced by musician Butch Walker at his Nashville studio, Cosentino’s LP smiles back at the precarious nature of life, the passing of time and love through a pop-folk-coloured lens. The album’s title track was influenced by the early days of the pandemic, the internal struggle of thinking nothing matters anymore and everything matters even more simultaneously, all played out against twangy, bright guitars.
‘It’s Fine’ takes on the form of ’90s radio hit, as she sings “Look at all the pink flowers in the rearview / Reminds me of the seasons that I wasted on you” over rock-and-roll meets country pop arrangements. Her track ‘Outta Time’ enlists pedal-steel work and mandolins in a climbing anthem about urgently searching for signs and the unavoidable passing of time, backed by a big chorus and a hearty guitar solo.
Album closer, ‘I’ve Got News For You’, drives the message of risk and reward home in stripped-back demo form, a decision Cosentino and Walker made to not masquerade the vulnerable message behind the fragile piano ballad. In it, she sings, “I got news for you if we go down this road there’s so much more to lose / Am I the only one whose scared of believing this is true love / Do you feel it too?” before her voice cracks at the refrain and she gives into the songs prevailing emotion. It’s the same heartbreakingly optimistic feeling tying together each track of the album.
In May, Cosentino announced her solo debut the same day Best Coast announced their “indefinite hiatus”. It was a bold move, but judging by the fruits of ‘Natural Disaster’, it was worth it. “It’s really scary to take those risks and make big changes in your life,” she said at the time. “But what you find on the other side can be so magical.” So it is.
