Quick 'N Dirty Review: Surfer Blood | Astro Coast

Before we start, here's a quick look at the rating system that we use here at The Dirtywhirl:

100 - Classic Album; One Of The Best Of All Time
99-90 - Exceptional Work; Rush Out And Get This
89-80 - Very, Very Good; You Should Still Go Out And Get This
79-70 - Not Bad At All; Might Actually Be Worth Your Time
69-60 - Has Its Moments But On The Whole... Meh
59-50 - Won't Make Your Ears Bleed; Won't Make You Dance, Either
49-0 - Don't Waste Your Time; You're Smarter Than This (Probably) 

Now... onto the review:

Surfer Blood | Astro Coast

Silly band name aside (although one that does befit their beach-ready sound), West Palm Beach, Florida’s Surfer Blood has delivered one of the year’s best debuts thus far with Astro Coast. Innovative? No. Deep? No. Astro Coast is nothing more than a strong example of no frills, workmanlike indie rock that makes for a very enjoyable listen. As many successful debut albums do, Astro Coast serves as a blueprint of sorts for where Surfer Blood could guide their career after some honing and polishing of their sound, a sound that draws from a variety of influences. As a part of the current Afropop fad (see Vampire Weekend and Local Natives), they’re probably the rawest of those acts but one that incorporates the Afropop influences with the most success, particularly on the bouncy “Take It Easy.” They also pull liberally from 90s indie (particularly Pavement) on “Anchorage” and on the album’s best track, “Floating Vibes,” which could be the jam of the summer in some parallel universe where good music actually ruled that part of the calendar. It’s easy to picture “Floating Vibes” pouring out of a car with the windows down in June thanks to its beachcomber guitar vibe and singer John Paul Pitts singing, “When you told me you were leaving/ I wasn’t thirsty for revenge/ No, I wasn’t disappointed much at all/ ‘Cause you’ll be back again.” There’s also a hint of EVOL-era Sonic Youth crossed with The Police on another standout, the dark “Harmonix.” Will some other band put out a stronger first effort than Surfer Blood by the time December rolls around? Possibly, but that would do nothing to diminish the promise displayed by the band on Astro Coast.

Standout Tracks: "Floating Vibes;" "Harmonix;" "Slow Jabroni;" "Swim"

Dirty Rating: 83/100