Nada Surf are the American trio responsible for the song, Popular, which was originally taken from the 1996 album, High/Low. Fast forward a few years and the band have just released their opus number five, Lucky.
The title is a clever take on the fact that they have survived overnight major-label success and a subsequent lull, among other things. Lucky sees the group offering ten tunes that share melodic qualities with The Beatles (though certainly not as innovative, because so few artists are). In addition, they have penned their own trademark blend of indie pop that could easily see them considered among the likes of Wilco and Youth Group.
The release opens with See These Bones, an existential pop tome that features performances from Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and Harvey Danger’s Sean Nelson. Curiously, the song is sung from the perspective of a sculpture made from bones. Inspired by a trip singer-guitarist Matthew Caws undertook to the Crypt of the Capuchin in Rome, he witnessed an order of monks that have turned members of their departed brethren into an eerie work of art. Delivering this theme, the lyrics include:
“Look alive, see these bones/
What you are now, we were once/
Just like you are, you’ll be dust…”
Despite reminding the listeners of their own finiteness, ultimately the tune is uplifting. The message of the song – like the sculpture – is one of affirmation, as it urges you to live your life to the fullest.
In Beautiful Beat I imagine a glorious summer’s day with Caws lying in the middle of a parachute and being tossed into the air, in part by the force of his loved ones and in part by the power of music in general. This is confirmed after the intentionally basic first verse draws the listener into the light of the resultant music and melody of the song.
The following track, Here Goes Something begins with a playful, acoustic intro much like a modern equivalent to The Mamas and the Papas’ Creeque Alley. Through this song, Caws delivers a short message to the princess he has been waiting for. Similar sentiments are shared in Are You Lightning?, a mellow piano ballad that sees Caws become a crooner.
I Like What You Say is a bouncy track that I can imagine Bob Evans performing. Caws sings, “I only want to make you happy” which during the first listen made me think of Samantha Fox and Dusty Springfield singing, “I only want to be with you,” despite the disparateness of the two messages.
Standout track, The Fox, opens with a left-of-field staccato that is completely unexpected, but a highly welcome musical addition. Its uniqueness reminds me of the stunning effects Martin Hannett helped build in producing Joy Division’s sound.
The Fox has a tantalising beginning that piques your interest and eventually leaves you fulfilled, before the final course of The Film Did Not Go ‘Round. The closer sees Caws accompanied by Lianne Smith and the vocals of the two combine, sounding like Mummy and Daddy singing a sombre lullaby to their baby.
In sum, the release is a fine one, thanks to the honesty and depth of Caw’s lyrics that are solidified by the conviction in his delivery – whether it is in a soaring ballad or in an exquisite slab of indie pop/rock. Could album number five restore Nada Surf back into the collective conscious of the public? Judging by the contents offered here, they deserve to be so lucky.
