King of the BeachBella Union ****

Those who bet there was more to Nathan Williams than the fuzzy static that peppered previous releases can now say “I told you so”. After a round of ups and downs (including a public meltdown at last year’s Primavera festival), Williams has regrouped, refocused and re-emerged with one hell of a record. King of the Beach is still a snotty beat-on-the-brat barrage with little time for decorum, but this time there’s little sneering distortion to disguise Williams’s ability to write catchy, snarling pop. Here he lets fly with one beach-punk, power-pop banger after another. From the brilliantly oddball trajectory of the title track to the giddy juvenile joy of When Will You Come and Mickey Mouse, Williams’s good-times buzz is infectious. The San Diego guy is putting his songs rather than his antics centre-stage. It’s a smart move. See myspace.com/wavves

Download tracks:King of the Beach, When Will You Come, Mickey Mouse