I've liked the records of West Palm Beach, Florida's Surfer Blood previously and written about them on here before. They're an unassuming, unpretentious bunch. Straightforward breezy, guitar driven Indie Pop. Hooks and melodies to the fore.
They tick the boxes they've previously ticked with consummate ease. In some ways they seem like a Weezer for the modern world, with the irritating quirks ironed out. The Blood play everything with a straight bat and smiles on their collective faces.
On the band's Spotify page they are described, (surely with their approval), as 'the cleanest and nicest band in existence'. Hardly Punk Rock. A band marketing themselves quite consciously as washing powder. A cleancut bunch of boys and girl, who you could invite back to meet your mom with supreme confidence.
But in Surfer Blood's case you can't help but give them a pass. Because they do what they do very well. This is life on Sunny Street and frankly you can't help but think that is more than welcome right now. Serious points are being made if you listen more closely to the lyrics but the band sugar coat their message skillfully. They're journeymen middle managers of Indie now, ten years since graduation.
Carefree Theatre is a relentlessly consistent listen with almost every song getting a straight seven. There are a few moments when they surpass themselves. I'd pick out one on fifth track In the Tempest's Eye as a prime example. Two and a half minutes in they burst, suddenly and unexpectedly into the surf, (yes), harmonies that Pixies deployed to such spectacular effect on Bossanova. In many respects they are Pixies nice country cousins, (surfer, Surfer Rosa surely). They never bear their teeth. They're utterly housetrained. They're good to be around. I give this eight,
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