SURFER BLOOD – Tarot Classics (Part 2)

Marites continues the conversation on Surfer Blood’s new EP Tarot Classics and confesses to walking out on the band a couple of years ago when they played in Vegas. She was really only there to see her friends play in the opening act so no hard feelings guys, right???

Surfer Blood – “Voyager Reprise”

From: Marites Velasquez
To: Katie Gallegos and Sarah Braunstein

Confession #1: A couple of years ago while visiting home for a holiday weekend, I was at a local bar to catch some friends who happened to be playing that night. There were maybe ten people hanging out for the show. I greeted one of my friends in the band before they got on stage – he suggested sticking around for the band they were opening for (“I hear they’re supposed to be good.”). Since I usually only have a couple of days to catch up with everyone I know back home, I split right after the second band started playing to meet up with some friends who were waiting for me down the street. Apparently, the band I walked out on was Surfer Blood.

Confession #2: I never really listened to Astro Coast. Maybe casually in passing if it happened to come up in rotation on my computer. I am, however, very familiar with their song “Swim.” There was a moment last year when I became obsessed with any band whose name was an allusion to anything related to the beach or the ocean because they all shared this style I was a fan of while growing up (jangly guitars! reverb!). I believe this is that “lo-fi” sound you were searching for on Tarot Classics, Sarah.  I’m a sucker for it, too. “Swim” was often lumped into a mix with the likes of Best Coast, Sea Pony, Beach House, Wavves…aka “Summer Jams 2010.”

So what I’m saying is that this band is like that guy who has been around forever and apparently could be perfect for me but I’ll never notice him unless something forces me to pay attention. As I’m listening to Tarot Classics, I’m going back and giving Astro Coast a shot. But it’s hard to think about this EP in context with band’s artistic growth since I never really paid attention to them in the first place. All I’m noticing is what makes Tarot Classics stand out on its own. It is a bit more refined and polished than the beachy-rock wave that they rode in on (ha!), but I like it. And I think turning towards a more polished sound is evidence of musical maturity.

I love the hooks in the melody – I think the parallel guitar lines help to define some of them – but I like when it can hold its own. Like when the chorus first comes in on “I’m Not Ready” and everything drops out except the rhythm section and then the other instruments slowly layer back in. I guess that’s the kind of thing I like to do myself when composing a song so I appreciate it when I hear it executed well.

Not sure I’m catching the LCD Soundsystem influences in “Voyager Reprise.” Maybe in the verses with the vocals and the way the guitar chords hang back if I think about it enough.

Katie – what do you think? Are you familiar with Surfer Blood or did you overlook them as well?

“And I’m not ready to look the other way,”
Marites

Get the new Surfer Blood EP Tarot Classics here:
Kanine Records | InSound | Amazon