Nathan Williams's previous album was hailed as energetic, invigorating and, above all, youthful. That may be true, but, sonically, it was a muddled mess. King Of The Beach gives the caked-on grime a much-needed power wash, and the change is remarkable — now the hostility cribbed from Nirvana and Yo La Tengo's textural influences — previously obscured by distortion — ring through clearly.

The signal-to-noise ratio has improved in a metaphorical sense as well — on Beach, Williams builds choruses by repeating moments that, in the past would have been fleeting. Most of them boast a newfound percussive propulsion, thanks to the recent addition of Jay Reatard's former rhythm section.

The songs feel like careful sculptures rather than fortuitously documented bursts of creativity: Slower numbers like "When Will You Come" and "Baby Say Goodbye" carry genuine emotional baggage — but even lighthearted tunes like "Super Soaker" and "Convertible Balloon" feel like the moment where the mopey teenager realizes he's young and full of potential and finally decides to stop dressing like a goth. Improbable as it might seem for a Wavves album, King of the Beach is the sound of growing up.