Surfer Blood’s garnered hype might not be a disappointment after all. After churning out the single Swim and touring with the likes of Japandroids last year, their fans were chomping at the bit for an album, and the West Palm Floridians have now just delivered them Astro Coast, their debut LP. It’s indie for the hoi polloi. Not nerd rock or emo drenched, just classic indie. The tracks are loaded with guitar riffs, hooks and reverb, playing backdrop to the vocals of frontman John Paul Pitts, with the exception of the instrumental Neighbour Riffs. And even though you might find yourself spotting similarities between this quartet and Weezer, or the African-inspired pulse of Take It Easy and all things Vampire Weekend, the band stirs things just enough so that you can’t pigeonhole the record. Of course it helps when the tone of the album is oxymoronic in nature, lonely searching lyrics set to upbeat catchy sing-along tunes. And if you simply give a listen to the first thirty seconds of each track, you might miss the dichotomous delight of Slow Jabroni, or mistake Floating Vibes and Anchorage for common-rated radio songs. It may sound confusing, but there’s more than meets the eye (sorry to break out the Transformers lingo), and for an unveiling, Astro Coast does a bang-up job as a debut. So to those looking for something catchy and not so slit-your-wrist depressing, give Pitts and his friends a stab; they might just live up to the hype.
simply ONE of the masses
Key Tracks: Swim, Catholic Pagans, Slow Jabroni, Twin Peaks
Moods: Lively, Witty, Cheerful, Summery, Earnest, Carefree
Buy: Astro Coast
