You might remember Nada Surf if you listened to rock radio in the mid to late 90's, they had major success and MTV play with "Popular," a wry and sarcastic take on high school culture. Then they dropped off the face of the earth.
Skip to the present, and their new record, "Let Go" (yeah, like the Avril Record) released on Barsuk Records, which opens with a sweetly short acoustic mini-ballad that is breathtaking in its simplicity and artfulness. "Blizzard of '77" sets the tone for the entire record, not too glossy or cerebral, just artfully written songs making a spectacular record.
At first listen it sounded like the record that Weezer should have made after the Blue album, a bridge between Blue's pop and Pinkerton's weirdness. The production and writing also made me immediately think of Ric Ocasek, producer for the first Weezer record and (as I later discovered) Nada Surf's "Hi/Lo." Production sounds analog, very organic, but the clarity isn't wonderful. Sounds like it could have been made in '97, but that's not a bad thing, I pine for those days. The band has definitely gained maturity since "Popular," but still sings about girls and (appropriately for a good rock band) drinking. One song is even in French, so I would just guess that the lyrics are good.
Go out today and buy this record, that's the highest praise I can give. This is rock songwriting at some of its best in years, from a band that could probably use the money. Go now, your girlfriend will thank you.
B
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