Record Reviews
Surfer Blood debut with “Astro Coast”
Adam Kearney :: Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 2:40 pm
Spraying the world with the fine, ocean breezes of their first album “Astro Coast,” Surfer Blood stand poised to deliver the sounds of the Reef to the ears of an indie generation thirsting for good vibrations.
‘Astro Coast” begins with swaggering guitar chords and drums on “Floating Vibes”, anticipating the throwback to some warm, nostlagic era. Those expecting straight up surfer rock will be surprised by the modern, shoegazy sound tsunamis interspersed with the usual melodic pop hooks.
‘Swim” is an anthemic power pop blast of fulfillment equal parts Weezer and the Ramones. It begins with a righteous roar and then glides into some jangly riffs, little islands of shelter amidst vast splashes of reverb.
“Take It Easy” includes hand claps and galloping percussion with Afrobeat rhythms. “Neighbor Riffs” is a rolling instrumental track following the rip curl down the beach like a vintage Ventures.
Though they capture the sound of beach tubes and bikinis, don’t mistake JP, TJ, Thomas, Brian, and Marcos for surfers. In fact, those were the people the West Palm Beach quintet disliked most eminently in high school.
They plan on working hard and staying true to the indie scene, and they’ll definitely be around for a long time with such a perfect indie-pop album. You may get the chance to see them soon on their upcoming headlining tour.
