First Impressions: Nada Surf, If I Had a Hi-Fi

Nada Surf

If I Had a Hi-Fi

Mardev Records

Release Date: 6/8

 

Tracklisting

 

1. Electrocution (Bill Fox)

2. Enjoy the Silence (Depeche Mode)

3. Love Goes On (The Go-Betweens)

4. Janine (Arthur Russell)

5. You Were So Warm (Dwight Twilley)

6. Love and Anger (Kate Bush)

7. Agony of Lafitte (Spoon)

8. Bye Bye Beaute (Coralie Clement)

9. Question (The Moody Blues)

10. Bright Side (Soft Pack)

11. Evolucion (Mecromina)

12. I Remembered What I Was Going To Say (The Silly Pillows)

 

First Impressions:

 

- Nada Surf is releasing their sixth album (the first since 2008’s Lucky), this one on their own label, Mardev Records. This album is a cover album of 12 songs, which are from an eclectic mix of the group’s favorite singers and bands.

 

-Bill Fox's “Electrocution” has the band’s trademark indie-pop sound. Singer Matthew Caws’ vocals sound great and really fit the song’s tone.

 

-“Enjoy the Silence” is the most well known song on this album. The band could have stayed true to the original, but they made it sound like their own, which could have been difficult with a song like this. Depeche Mode would be proud.

 

-“You Were So Warm” by Dwight Tilley sounds like it could have been written by Nada Surf instead of a cover. It is reminiscent of ‘70s California-pop, but not in the cheesy Eagles way.   

 

-The band changes things up a bit on “Question.” Though the song slows down in the middle (a la The Moody Blues, which shouldn’t be a surprise since, after all, they wrote the song), it is very melodic. Then at the end, it picks up back up again and rocks hard.

 

Key Tracks:

 

 “Electrocution,” “Enjoy The Silence,” “You Were So Warm,” “Question”

 

Predictions:

 

The New York trio has come a long way since their ‘90s hit “Popular.” It’s easy for an album of covers to be a haphazard attempt at putting out new but albeit unoriginal material. Nada Surf doesn’t fall into that tempting trap. By being making these songs their own, If I Had a Hi-Fi will be a welcome addition to any Nada Surf fan’s collection.