Funny old genre, surf rock. Despite sounding light and fluffy, it often seems laced with tragedy, violence and intense musical complexity. It’s a philosophical melange that seems to promote breezy diffidence in the face of hard-edged personal problems.
Surfer Blood are sadly familiar with some of these themes. Their fourth album, ‘Snowdonia’ is their third since frontman John Paul Pitts' domestic battery arrest in 2012 and the first following the death of guitarist Thomas Fekete from cancer at the age of 27. The album has been recorded in his honour and the title track - its centrepiece - pays particular homage.
Snowdonia (the song) is a seven minute prog-surf anthem, which opens with a strange dual guitar riff that seems to hang in the air while the rest of the band ready themselves emotionally. The guitars announce a seaside elegy for the band’s lost friend, before Pitts elegantly croons: “You don’t need me any more.”
The song is by far the best thing on the album. The different sections work together thoughtfully, while the lyrical flow presents melancholic resignation with deft precision. Pitts, though, is a singer whose tone can occasionally grate.
His voice is often charmingly child-like in its handling of angular melodies, but it can also sound a little basic and didactic when the melody line is not quite strong enough. On Snowdonia (the song) it is versatile and subtle, and carries through the sadness with a lightness of touch that is highly affecting.
Other tracks handle compositional flourishes handsomely, from the mixed-up rhythms on Matter of Time and Frozen to the finely articulated melody writing on Instant Doppelgängers and, in particular, Dino Jay. This latter song uses new bassist Lindsey Mills’ vocals with finesse.
All things considered, ‘Snowdonia’ is a finely tuned album which shows genuine development from both 2015’s ‘1000 Palms’ and the rather shoe-gazing ‘Pythons’ before that. But there is still something a little dispassionate here.
Surfer Blood are an intelligent band with a carefully constructed sound, but aside from the title track, there is nothing particularly striking about the songs on this album. That breezy diffidence mentioned at the start needn’t be a bad thing, but on this occasion it’s not terribly convincing either. The album remains a little lightweight. It doesn’t really ask you any questions.
Surfer Blood Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu March 16 2017 - BIRMINGHAM Mama Roux's
Fri March 17 2017 - BOURNEMOUTH Winchester
Sat March 18 2017 - LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
Sun March 19 2017 - MANCHESTER Soup Kitchen
Mon March 20 2017 - GLASGOW Broadcast
Tue March 21 2017 - LEICESTER Cookie
Thu March 23 2017 - LONDON Oslo
Fri March 24 2017 - CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
Sat March 25 2017 - BRIGHTON Sticky Mike's Frog Bar
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