King of the Beach
by Wavves
Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
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  1. musicOMH.com
    90
    If the career plan was to go to the lowest of lows before releasing an album of resurrection and real substance, he ought to be applauded for conducting the whole stunt to perfection.
  2. No Ripcord
    90
    Even though King Of The Beach marks a dramatic step forward in Williams' abilities as a songwriter, he's still the same lonely dude that can't keep his friends, can't get a girl, and can't catch a break. Except it seems like maybe this time he finally has.
  3. Rock Sound
    80
    Featuring two members of the late great Jay Reatard's band--the towering garage rawk that defined his sound is tangible with Wavves too but here left to bathe in the sun and taken for a quick dip in the ocean.
  5. Rolling Stone
    70
    On the third Wavves full-length, a one-man bedroom experiment blossoms into a real band, with Jay Reatard's feisty backing duo and Modest Mouse's producer beefing up low-fi strumming, smiling melodies and zonked studio whimsy.
  6. The A.V. Club
    83
    King Of The Beach benefits from a timely team-up with Jay Reatard's former rhythm section and scrubbed-down vocals courtesy of Modest Mouse producer Dennis Herring, who provided just the push into the deep end that Nathan Williams needed.
  7. AllMusic
    80
    Wavves sometimes gets carried away--"Neon Balloon" and its sea of synth gurgles and helium vocals is near silly--but when Williams finds his stride and carves the tube of punky psych sonics, the results are totally awesome.
  8. Alternative Press
    80
    The album is a devilishly fun listen when he's behaving liked a genius on the attack [Sep 2010, p.116]
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  9. Paste Magazine
    91
    The album is saturated with high poly-harmonies, finger-snaps and hand claps, but the Charles Atlas-invoking title communicates Wavves' real agenda--"nyah-nyah" pop sucker-punches, sunny smiles so forced they come off as sneers, intense self-deprecation as psychic body armor.
  10. Billboard.com
    88
    The result is a 12-song collection of washed-out summer tunes perfect for beach outings and late-night house parties.
  11. Pitchfork
    84
    It's major-key and resplendently colored, owing as much to Orange County skate-punk as it does to the Beach Boys.
  12. Prefix Magazine
    75
    The album's about being depressed, smoking weed, having fun, not understanding girls. You know, the moments that define any summer.
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  13. Spin
    80
    King of the Beach's specialty is Warped Tour–ready choruses, charred with noise and peppered with lyrics from a self-hating surfer teen who sees sunburn as spiritual penance for being a burnout.
  14. The Boston Phoenix
    63
    He sounds like the dude from Blink-182 - just another suburban punk whining about this and that.
  15. Drowned In Sound
    80
    What Wavves has created here is a collection of gleaming pop gems, laced with self-hatred and a keen sense of rebellion.
  16. NOW Magazine
    80
    Shards of digital distortion and self-indulgent instrumentals are pretty much gone. What remains is a novel reworking of the California surf punk formula.
  17. BBC Music
    70
    King of the Beach offers a fascinating insight into the slightly skew-whiff mind of this talented young artist, now well on the way to mastering what could turn out to be an incredibly inventive career.
  18. Dusted Magazine
    80
    King of the Beach has a few decent approximations of beloved styles. Perversely, they don't seem like breakthroughs--they make his old songs seem less special.
  19. Mojo
    80
    This latest sheds much of the lo-fi fuzz and spur-of-the-moment sloppiness that characterises previous records, allowing the myriad hooks and melodies to stand out bolder, brighter and all the more pleasing. [Sep 2010, p.106]
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 45
  3. Negative: 0 out of 45
  1. carrsean
    Oct 9, 2019
    9
    Wavves' artistic peak as of 2019, no question. The songwriting does well to compliment some stellar hooks and subtle experimentation resultsWavves' artistic peak as of 2019, no question. The songwriting does well to compliment some stellar hooks and subtle experimentation results in King of the Beach as Wavves' least one dimensional effort. By the end, Williams may have beaten the themes of self-deprecation and unhappiness down to a pulp, but the sequencing of the album never makes it feel overbearing or monotonous. Barn-burners like the title track, "Post Acid", and "Super Soaker" are kept primarily in the first half, while more easy going tracks with more depth fill up the second half. "Take On The World" marks the most meta moment in the Wavves' canon, while "Mickey Mouse" sees a surprising moment of Animal Collective influence, circa Strawberry Jam. The moment isn't distracting as Williams' choice of melody and the instrumentation make for one of the more joyous moments on the records. "Green Eyes" is another highlight, as it's the closest Wavves has come to a love song while also without sacrificing what defines them in the first place. In a tight 36 minutes, Wavves craft the definite summer punk album. While the concept is loose and doesn't amount much to anything, each song radiates a warmth through its colorful production and energized performances. Definitely one of the better punk releases of the millennium, if not the decade.… Full Review »
  2. ScotchRobbins
    Dec 3, 2015
    8
    It's not perfect, but it's some of the best surf punk released in recent years. It's fuzzy, it's fast, it's loud, it's careless, and it's fun.It's not perfect, but it's some of the best surf punk released in recent years. It's fuzzy, it's fast, it's loud, it's careless, and it's fun. For a sloppy two-man band, Wavves has their act together to an impressive degree.… Full Review »
  3. zzirGrif
    Sep 1, 2013
    7
    Bit of a throw-away album, not exactly disposable but only a few riffs and hooks stick in the mind. Incredibly fun and confident but Wavves'Bit of a throw-away album, not exactly disposable but only a few riffs and hooks stick in the mind. Incredibly fun and confident but Wavves' potential has not been maxed out yet.… Full Review »
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