Record Review - Surfer Blood: Astro Coast

With echoing vocals and plenty of reverb layered over the sunshiniest pop melodies, West Palm Beach, Fla., quartet Surfer Blood released its debut record Jan. 19 and unleashed a tidal wave of buzz. But the album itself proves the band’s ability to ride easily atop that wave. The single “Swim” can’t help but inspire devotion from those who love big-hearted, hefty pop. Combining the swollen guitar hooks those of us raised on ’90s alternative dearly miss with noisy washes and eccentric drumming, Astro Coast seems to pay homage to an entire epoch in music and culture. The lyrical remembrances of “Twin Peaks” mix with the transcendent new-wave anthemics of “Fast Jabroni,” the surf noodlings of “Neighbor Riffs” and the choir vocal arrangements of “Catholic Pagan.” Though Surfer Blood may try to pass itself off as glib, moments like these solidify Astro Coast as an album steeped in reverence. 4 out of 5 stars.