Dive verdict: 2.5 of 5 stars
Surfer Blood has done their homework. They’ve managed to capture every facet of what’s popular about indie rock today and roll it together into one generic, if occasionally pleasant, album.
They’ve got the lo-fi grunginess of Wavves, the earnest and charming pop lyrics of The Shins and the dreamy, reverb-drenched beach aesthetic of Real Estate. There’s nothing wrong with using what sounds good, as long as you make it your own, but that’s not the case with Surfer Blood.
Instead, most of these songs seem like possible B-sides for any of the aforementioned bands — passable, but hardly worthy of the praise garnered by its peers.
But doing your homework does pay off, and there’s potential in the album’s second half. Things begin to take a less monotonous turn with “Twin Peaks,” in which ‘80s-style guitar riffs battle to be heard over a wall of raucous shouts. Finally, Surfer Blood seems like it might mean business.
“Twin Peaks” is followed by a set of equally engaging songs, “Slow Jabroni” and “Fast Jabroni.” “Fast Jabroni” is an upbeat rocker about falling in love, made creepy by singer John Paul Pitts’ declaration that he is willing to crawl in a hole with his lover until his limbs “grow soft and die.” “Slow Jabroni” is a ponderous lovesick tale that achieves a full, yet lonely sound with echoing vocals and repeating timpani.
The back half of Astro Coast hints that Surfer Blood has some genuine creativity flowing through its veins, but it’s not enough to make up for this debut’s more generic moments. Better to put this band aside and wait for it to grasp a sound of it can call its own.
