Surfer Blood Quickens Their Pulse

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on May 17, 2013 8:40PM

Surfer Blood's debut Astro Coast catapulted them into indie fame and lots of attention including good spots at numerous high-profile gigs including a good slot at 2010's Pitchfork Music Festival. We enjoyed the album, a nice mix of hooky, wash-guitar and sweet vocals, but we felt the band, both live and on-record, lacked a certain power and urgency. Ultimately this led to politely pleasant, but strongly positive, feelings towards their work.

The group's sophomore effort, Pythons, behaves in a manner similar to its title: Its powerful squeeze on your attention just gets stronger and stronger and doesn't let up. We don't know who lit the proverbial hotfoot underneath the band's guitar pedals but the songs here are solid, powerful and laden with hooks that are heavy and never threaten to float away. This is a risky move on one hand since it was a lot of the gauzy guitar play in their debut that people cottoned to, and tracking in a heavier direction could threaten to unhinge those fans. It's a good gamble on the band's part and pays off in a collection of songs that are immediately tuneful, harness a newly invigorating rhythm section and guitars that are more concerned with getting your attention and wrapping you in their charms than just draping themselves over you. Even singer John Paul Pitts displays a voice that is far more confident and arresting even as he explores a more melodious approach that walks the line between Morrissey and The Smoking Popes' Josh Caterer; it's a good sound for him. All together, this is a great sound for the band.

Surfer Blood plays tomorrow, May 18, at The Vic, 3145 N Sheffield, 7 p.m., SOLD OUT, all ages