{{confused|The Only Place (Scorn album)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = The Only Place | type = studio | artist = Best Coast | cover = Theonlyplace.jpg | alt = | released = {{Start date|2012|5|15}} | recorded = 2011–12 | venue = | studio = Capitol Studio B (Hollywood) | genre = {{flatlist| * Pop rock<ref name="spin"/> * jangle pop<ref name="nme"/> }} | length = {{duration|m=34|s=20}} | label = Mexican Summer | producer = Jon Brion | prev_title = Crazy for You | prev_year = 2010 | next_title = Fade Away | next_year = 2013 | misc = {{Singles | name = The Only Place | type = studio | single1 = The Only Place | single1date = March 26, 2012 | single2 = Why I Cry | single2date = April 17, 2012 | single3 = Do You Love Me Like You Used To | single3date = November 9, 2012 }} }}
'''''The Only Place''''' is the second studio album by American indie rock duo Best Coast, released on May 15, 2012 by Mexican Summer. Produced by Jon Brion, the album was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, California. The album was primarily inspired by the upheaval following the unexpected success of ''Crazy for You''. To this end, the duo attempted to distance themselves from the lo-fi aesthetic of their first release by working with producer Jon Brion. Recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, ''The Only Place'' was inspired by 1960s country music and Fleetwood Mac.
The record received generally favorable reviews from music critics, although many reviewers were divided in their reception of the record's polished sound.
==Background== Following the release of the band's debut album, ''Crazy for You'' (2010), the band embarked upon an extensive touring schedule, which subsequently inspired the lyrical content of ''The Only Place''. Cosentino felt that her life had dramatically changed in the two years following its release, having never spent so much time away from home.<ref name="tg">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/20/arts/music/bethany-cosentino-with-new-sound-on-the-only-place.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|title=Best Coast are back and this time they mean business |author=Rebecca Nicholson|date=May 11, 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|accessdate=April 21, 2013}}</ref> Alongside the quick, thunderous success came an intense level of scrutiny, vocal Internet haters and venom from selected critics, some of whom viewed Cosentino's material as anti-feminist.<ref name="laweekly">{{cite news|url=http://www.laweekly.com/2012-05-10/music/the-branding-of-best-coast/2/|title=The Branding of Best Coast|author=Kai Flanders|date= May 10, 2012|newspaper=LA Weekly|accessdate=April 21, 2013}}</ref> ''Crazy for You'' and its sound, "simple and pungent songs{{nbs}}... toying with 1950s and ’60s melodic structures," had become something of a touchstone for Best Coast and adopted by several other bands. Cosentino hid her vocals behind layers of reverb and distortion, which was an extension of her onstage anxiety. As a result, Cosentino desired to take their sophomore record in a completely different direction.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/20/arts/music/bethany-cosentino-with-new-sound-on-the-only-place.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|title=No More Reverb: Full-Throttle for Best Coast |author=Jon Carimanica|date=May 16, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=April 21, 2013}}</ref>
==Recording and production== [[File:Capitol Records sunset.jpg|thumb|''The Only Place'' was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, known for its history with Frank Sinatra and The Beach Boys.]] ''The Only Place'' was recorded at Capitol Records Studio B in Los Angeles, California.<ref name="linernotes"/> Cosentino and Bruno felt the production process for ''The Only Place'' was marked by a level of seriousness. While previous recording sessions were marked by goofing off and drinking, the duo took their sophomore effort more seriously and strove to create a different sound.<ref name="cp">{{cite news|url=http://blogs.citypaper.com/noise/index.php/2013/04/qa-best-coasts-bethany-cosentino-talks-old-school-country-confessional-songwriting-and-bench-pressing/|title=Q&A: Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino talks old-school country, confessional songwriting, and bench pressing|author=Brian Line|date=April 1, 2013|newspaper=Baltimore City Paper|accessdate=April 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403000748/http://blogs.citypaper.com/noise/index.php/2013/04/qa-best-coasts-bethany-cosentino-talks-old-school-country-confessional-songwriting-and-bench-pressing/|archive-date=April 3, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Cosentino was reluctant to make her lyrics completely honest, but was inspired by Drake's ''Take Care'' to take a chance. "I’m going to make this record like a rapper would make it, or at least how Drake would make it," she found.<ref name="nyt"/> Cosentino felt being more honest and relatable could better connect the listener.<ref name="tg"/> The record was inspired by traditional country music, which was listened to frequently during its production. Cosentino wanted to create a "weird spin on '60s country stuff like Loretta Lynn, Dusty Springfield [and] Patsy Cline."<ref name="cp"/> The duo also cited the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac as influences for the record. Cosentino jokingly compared the production process of ''The Only Place'' to Fleetwood Mac's ''Rumours'' (1977): "It was very epic for us. Except our studio experience was not doing cocaine until five in the morning; it was eating guacamole until five in the morning. And we had parking spaces."<ref name="spin"/>
The duo had a desire to create a record that "nobody was going to call lo-fi," and Bruno reached out to his former boss, producer/composer Jon Brion, known for his work on Kanye West's ''Late Registration'' (2005).<ref name="spin">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.spin.com/2012/07/best-coast-and-wavves-feel-good-inc/|title=Best Coast and Wavves: Feel Good Inc.|author=Phoebe Reilly|date=July 9, 2012|magazine=Spin|accessdate=April 21, 2013}}</ref> Bruno had worked as Brion's personal assistant nearly a decade prior; the partnership clicked when the producer sat in on keyboards during a February 2011 Best Coast gig in L.A.<ref name="RS1">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/dusty-springfield-dolly-parton-inspire-best-coast-follow-up-20120120|title=Dusty Springfield, Dolly Parton Inspire Best Coast Follow-Up|author=Matt Diehl|date=January 20, 2012|magazine=Rolling Stone|accessdate=April 21, 2013}}</ref> The decision to work with producer Jon Brion was an effort to bring polish to the mixes. Brion, who admired ''Crazy for You'' and its production, largely hoped to stay out of the way during sessions, only hoping to bring out Cosentino's vocals and hear the low-end of mixes more. Brion noted that the duo "were curious to not use the reverb thing as a crutch."<ref name="nyt"/> Brion equipped the duo with vintage analog gear, and attempted to make great use of the studio's Les Paul-designed reverb chambers.<ref name="RS1"/> Brion noted that Cosentino and Bruno "have a secret language," and he merely suggested a few different guitars.<ref name="spin"/>
==Music and artwork== Title track ''The Only Place'' has been described as a "summery, jangly love letter to California" that is "bigger in sound and scope" than ''Crazy for You''.<ref name="tg"/> The cover illustration, a brown bear (the state animal) embracing the state of California, is a modified version of the artwork on the sheet music for the state song, "I Love You, California" (1913).<ref name="linernotes">{{cite AV media notes | title=The Only Place | year=2012 | others=Best Coast | type=liner notes | publisher=Mexican Summer | location=US | id=MEX 109}}</ref>
==Music video== The band released a music video for the song, "The Only Place" in June, 2012. The video was directed by Ace Norton and featured Cosentino and Bruno representing California driving with their top down, playing on the sand, make blended beverages out of fruit.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pelly|first=Jenn|title=Video: Best Coast: "The Only Place"|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/46860-video-best-coast-the-only-place/|accessdate=13 March 2013|newspaper=PitchforkMedia|date=June 14, 2012}}</ref>
==Critical reception== {{Music ratings |MC = 66/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-only-place|title=Reviews for The Only Place by Best Coast - Metacritic|work=Metacritic|publisher=CBS Interactive|accessdate=2015-08-04}}</ref> |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref name="allmusicreview">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-only-place-mw0002334705|title=The Only Place - Best Coast — Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards|accessdate=2015-08-04|last=Sendra|first=Tim|publisher=AllMusic. All Media Network}}</ref> |rev2 = ''The A.V. Club'' |rev2Score = B−<ref name="avclub"/> |rev3 = ''NME'' |rev3Score = 4/10<ref name="nme"/> |rev4 = ''Pitchfork'' |rev4Score = 6.2/10<ref name="pitchforkreview">{{cite web|last=Richardson|first=Mark|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16609-the-only-place/|title=Review: Best Coast: The Only Place|website=Pitchfork|date=2012-05-16|accessdate=2015-08-04}}</ref> |rev5 = ''Spin'' |rev5Score = 8/10<ref name="spinreview">{{cite web|last=Young|first=Jon|url=http://www.spin.com/reviews/best-coast-only-place-mexican-summer|title=Best Coast, 'The Only Place' (Mexican Summer)|work=Spin|date=2012-05-12|accessdate=2015-08-04}}</ref> }}
According to aggregate website Metacritic, based on 34 professional reviews, the album currently holds an average score of 66 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref name="MC" /> In his review for ''Spin'', Jon Young writes "''The Only Place'' delivers riveting drama in a rousing pop package, with Brion rescuing Best Coast from the fuzzed-out, lo-fi indie template, cleaning up their sound and enhancing the potential for mainstream appeal exponentially without diminishing their artistic credibility", and awarded the album 8 out of a possible 10.<ref name="spinreview" /> Negative reviews seemed to have focused on Cosentino's lyricism. Ben Hewitt, writing for ''NME'', gave ''The Only Place'' 4 out of a possible 10. He stated, "The swoonsome charm of Best Coast's debut, ''Crazy For You'', was in its feel-good slacker vibes rather than its invention, but here they're going through the motions{{nbs}}... with mechanical jangly pop and the wince-inducing triteness of Cosentino's lyrics."<ref name="nme">{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/best-coast/13221|title=''NME'' Album Reviews; Best Coast - ''The Only Place''|website=NME |date=25 May 2012}}</ref> Mark Richardson, writing for Pitchfork Media, gave ''The Only Place'' 6.2 out of a possible 10. He ended his review by describing the album as "a grinding sense of marks being hit while inspiration is in short order."<ref name="pitchforkreview" /> Evan Rytlewski, writing for ''The A.V. Club'', gave ''The Only Place'' a B−. He noted that, "Cosentino has strengthened her voice and revealed real emotional range. Maybe on album No. 3 she’ll start practicing some new rhyme schemes, too."<ref name="avclub">{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/best-coast-the-only-place-1798172786|title=Best Coast: ''The Only Place''; Musical Work Review |website=The A.V. Club |date=14 May 2012}}</ref>
The album was listed at number 14 on ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s list of the top 50 albums of 2012, saying "With less reverb-y guitar haze to hide behind, her voice comes into its own as one of indie rock's mightiest."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-albums-of-2012-20121205/best-coast-the-only-place-19691231 |title=50 Best Albums of 2012: Best Coast, 'The Only Place' |magazine=Rolling Stone |accessdate=2014-04-08}}</ref>
==Track listing== {{Track listing | all_writing = Bethany Cosentino
| title1 = The Only Place | length1 = 2:40 | title2 = Why I Cry | length2 = 2:17 | title3 = Last Year | length3 = 3:33 | title4 = My Life | length4 = 2:12 | title5 = No One Like You | length5 = 3:02 | title6 = How They Want Me to Be | length6 = 3:52 | title7 = Better Girl | length7 = 2:54 | title8 = Do You Love Me Like You Used To | length8 = 3:16 | title9 = Dreaming My Life Away | length9 = 3:22 | title10 = Let's Go Home | length10 = 2:35 | title11 = Up All Night | length11 = 4:37 }} {{Track listing | total_length = 40:53 | headline = Digital deluxe edition bonus tracks | title12 = Mean Girls | length12 = 3:40 | title13 = Angsty | length13 = 2:53 }} {{Track listing | total_length = 45:14 | headline = Australian edition bonus tracks<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/music/alternative/only-place-the-3-bonus-tracks/665771|title=Only Place, The (+3 Bonus Tracks)|publisher=JB Hi-Fi|accessdate=May 5, 2012}}</ref> | title12 = Angsty | length12 = 2:53 | title13 = Storms | note13 = Fleetwood Mac cover; written by Stevie Nicks | length13 = 4:14 | title14 = How They Want Me to Be | note14 = original demo | length14 = 3:47 }}
==Personnel==
===Best Coast=== *Bethany Cosentino – vocals, guitar *Bobb Bruno – drums, guitar, bass guitar
===Additional musicians=== *Jon Brion – percussion, keyboards, 12-string guitar, lap steel, six-string bass
===Recording personnel=== *Jon Brion – producer *Greg Koller – engineer, mixing *Eric Caudieux – editor *Jake Gorski – assistant engineer *Chandler Harrod – assistant engineer *Patricia Sullivan – mastering
===Artwork=== *Dan Schechter – art direction, design *David Black – in-studio photography *Jess Rotter – landscape illustration
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (2012) ! scope="col"| Peak<br>position |- ! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aria.com.au/Issue1161.pdf |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20120615140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20120616-0000/Issue1161.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-06-15 |title=ARIA Top 100 Albums – Week Commencing 28th May 2012 |publisher=ARIA Charts. Australian Web Archive |page=6 |accessdate=December 5, 2015}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> | 65 |- ! scope="row"| Irish Albums (IRMA)<ref name="irma">{{cite web |url=http://www.irma.ie/aucharts.asp |title=Top 20 Indie Individual Artist Albums |publisher=Irish Recorded Music Association |date=May 17, 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511020134/http://www.irma.ie/aucharts.asp |archivedate=May 11, 2012 |url-status=live |accessdate=December 5, 2015}}</ref> | 86 |- ! scope="row"| Irish Independent Albums (IRMA)<ref name="irma"/> | 12 |- {{album chart|Scotland|58|artist=Best Coast|date=2012-05-20|accessdate=December 5, 2015|rowheader=true}} |- {{album chart|UK|55|artist=Best Coast|accessdate=December 5, 2015|rowheader=true}} |- {{album chart|UKIndependent|7|artist=Best Coast|date=2012-05-20|accessdate=December 5, 2015|rowheader=true}} |- {{album chart|Billboard200|24|artist=Best Coast|accessdate=July 21, 2015|rowheader=true}} |- {{album chart|BillboardIndependent|5|artist=Best Coast|accessdate=July 21, 2015|rowheader=true}} |- {{album chart|BillboardAlternative|6|artist=Best Coast|accessdate=July 21, 2015|rowheader=true}} |- {{album chart|BillboardRock|10|artist=Best Coast|accessdate=July 21, 2015|rowheader=true}} |- |}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
{{Best Coast}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Only Place, The}} Category:2012 albums Category:Albums produced by Jon Brion Category:Albums recorded at Capitol Studios Category:Best Coast albums Category:Mexican Summer albums Category:Jangle pop albums