Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 4 / 5 Reviewer: Andre Guimond |
Astro Coast, the debut LP from West Palm Beach youngsters Surfer Blood, will inevitably be called out for its Weezer aping and corollary Pixies influences but nonetheless can stand on its own thanks to a vibrant blend of tropical, indie and punk guitar work and some damn catchy hooks. This is a band that still has room to grow, but ultimately ends up sounding a lot more able than you would usually give a bunch of facial hair-less 20 year olds credit for, especially when you consider how many styles they shift between with such confidence and ability.
Unlike so many other albums from of-the-moment bands, there’s maturity in the sequencing here; ‘Floating Vibes’ sets things up with an immediately appealing hook before lead singer JP Pitts wafts in on a wave of nostalgia, first hopeful that the girl that left him will soon return but sounding spiteful as the song closes. The feeling quickly turns to bitter resentment in ‘Swim’ – “quit hanging over me / look at the hair on the back of my neck” – easily the most anthemic and Weezer-ish song on the disc, and one of the best.
Things don’t let up after track two, though. They actually get a lot more interesting with ‘Take it Easy,’ a bonfire-lit tropical beach party evocative of a faster, more inscrutable Abe Vigoda. Two 6-minute-plus tracks, ‘Slow Jabroni’ and ‘Anchorage,’ lead into the closer and slow it down with heavier, slower chords and a distinctly You Forgot it in People Broken Social Scene-esque riff on the latter.
Throughout, what comes through on Astro Coast is not simply just the band’s influences, which they don’t seem to be afraid to tout and play with, but also their talent, their range, and the pure kick they get from doing what they do. “Why do you have to go?” are the last words we hear as the album comes to a close, like they just can’t believe it’s over.
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