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Although Beulah has a horn section, the band is no Blues Brothers. Nor are they No Doubt. It's rather difficult to pin down their sound. Beulah creates a unique Beach Boys meets 90's indie mix without the sloppiness sometimes inherent in the genre. These arrangements are tight and thoughtful, and the music is fun and catchy, if a bit over the top. Beulah is about anything but boring rock music. Distorted bass begins "A Good Man is Easy to Kill," followed by flute, tambourine, choir of vocals singing "Ba Da Bop Bop Ba Da Da," and by the time that the trumpet and strings enter, the band is in full throttle Motown mode.

The horn parts, instead mimicking the vocal melody, create their own lush melodies that really beef up the overall sound. Every few bars, it seems that a new instrument enters, be it a descending piano line, a furiously strummed acoustic guitar, or some expertly played wind instrument.

The myriad of instruments is not the only thing that sets Beulah apart from the majority of popular music. Beulah's songwriting is superb and adventurous, while still showcasing their pop sensibilities. The vocals are mostly mellow and played-down, aside from the occasional doo-wop elements. Beulah's lyrics are clever often to the point of genius, as in the sarcastic "When they drilled holes in your skull, and screwed that halo to your head, did you think you could fly?" on "A Good Man is Easy to Kill."

A few songs are really jazzy and mellow, a sound that appeals to a wider audience, but that might turn the traditional rock crowd away from Beulah's grooves. But the band always emphasizes good melodies, and their singable lines are always memorable. "Popular Mechanics for Lovers" is a great play on words, and the chorus vocals, stacked in towering octaves, are sure to have listeners singing along, try as they may to hold back.

After several EPs and foreign release singles, "The Coast is Never Clear" is the band's third full-length album. After the sale of Capricorn Records, which signed the band but never released any of their albums, the band's future seemed uncertain. But Beulah signed on with the newly created Velocette Records, started by former Capricorn employees, which, if this album is any indication, will be sure to succeed.

From its pretty beach music to its mariachi horn section, "The Coast is Never Clear" is a definite keeper. The golden sounds of songs like "Silver Lining" are enduring long after the disc has finished playing. This is truly innovative rock music. Beulah accomplishes it by both incorporating other genres into their sound, but also by being damn good songwriters and musicians and by rocking out in a way that few bands could imitate, even if they wanted to.