Review: Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
The beautiful, sunny tone of their guitars alongside the groovy bass lines send the listener to a far off tropical beach, with envy of their mad surfing skills. Which is funny, because none of these guys actually surf. “Floating Vibes”, with its simple guitar lines and James Mercer-like vocals, sets a summery and beachy mood, leading into the album’s first single; “Swim”. The song begins with loud, chanting vocals with plenty of reverb and echo, into a super catchy guitar riff. After about a minute, the song turns down the volume a little and moves into a lovely guitar and drum solo, only to burst back with the same roaring vocals, shredding solo and power-pop chorus. “Take It Easy” is reminiscent of both the 80s and Vampire Weekend at the same time as the singer whips out his falsetto. “Neighbour Riffs”, the album’s only instrumental song, is so sunny and beautiful that it flies by just as fast as those fleeting summer days. The album stays strong throughout and ends on a softer note, with the melody-driven “Catholic Pagans”.
Astro Coast has something for everyone, whether you are into indie rock, pop or straight up surf-core. Right from the first listen, the songs are immediately catchy and memorable. These anthemic power-pop/surf punk songs are as feel-good as it gets. There’s no denying that this album is the perfect cure for the common wintertime blues.
Key Tracks: Take It Easy, Swim and Fast Jambroni
