speed of dark

Indie Mom and I have been Nada Surf fans since The Proximity Effect (1998) and especially 2002's Let Go, and I've been hoping they would duplicate the depth and impact of Let Go ever since. I liked their 2005 album The Weight Is a Gift but it did not hit that bar for me, and neither does their new one Lucky.

I'm speaking of the songwriting themes here, because the musicianship of Matthew Caws (guitar, vocals), Daniel Lorca (bass, vocals), and Ira Elliot (drums, vocals) is just as fine as ever. The tunes have the same bouncy beats cheering up bittersweet lyrics that made Let Go so appealing. "See These Bones," the much-touted single, is a wonderful song about death leveling all our differences, and "Whose Authority" is very good too. "I Like What You Say" is very much like "Do It Again" from The Weight Is a Gift.

After that I have trouble figuring out or caring what the songs are about. "Beautiful Beat" and "Weightless" are lovely but empty fluff lyrically. I don't hear enough of the punch or clarity of my favorites from Let Go like "Hi-Speed Soul." "Are You Lightning" and "The Film Did Not Go Round" are the bookends of meeting a new love and then saying goodbye, although the leave-taking must be temporary because the emotional despair of a permanent split is not there.

Maybe I can't expect a songwriter to keep revisiting the depths of isolation where Caws went with "Paper Boats" and "Inside of Love" (Let Go), but I miss that. It sounds like I'm saying I want Nada Surf to make the same album again, but what I want is the same kind of excitement they gave me before. Anyone who likes any part of Lucky should explore those older albums.

The one great redeemer is "The Fox," whose minor keys, dark, exotic back melodies, and political subject matter take Nada Surf in an entirely different and unexpected direction. I don't know how to describe the drumming here, but it's different from their usual straightforward style. I like it. I would have liked to see more exploration and variety of this kind on Lucky.

The Fox from Lucky (2008)
Do It Again from The Weight Is a Gift (2005)
Hi-Speed Soul from Let Go (2002)

MySpace | Website | Label: Barsuk Records
Buy at Barsuk StoreX, iTunes, Amazon

Show Schedule:
Nada Surf have a very active tour schedule from February through April, with venues in both Europe and the U.S., so check their MySpace page for a concert near you.