Well, here’s a review you don’t see my typically do on Electric Mohawk. But in 2012, I’m making a conscious effort to expand my musical interests and that begins with Nada Surf —  an indie rock band with a discography dating all the way back to the mid 90s. Shockingly, I have NEVER given these guys a proper listen before this album.

I immediately fell in love with “Clear Eye Clouded Mind”. Very simple and melodic, creating a dreamy feel. Just absolutely great opener. If this is any indication of what was to come, I’d be in for a huge surprise. Another standout is “When I Was Young”… a song that shows off how to write an incredible buildup. It begins as an acoustic track but about halfway through, it shifts it’s focus on becoming what’s bound to be one of the biggest and best pop-rock songs of the year. I just get lost in that guitar solo — it really is a thing of beauty.

“Teenage Dreams” is notable for (no, not being a Katy Perry cover) being a criminally catchy track and perhaps being my favorite.

At this point you probably think that I think this is the greatest record ever, but alas, it is not perfection. My issue with this release is that all of the songs sound too much like, well, each other. The vocals are excellent, the production is spot on, but it just doesn’t offer as much variation as I wanted it to.

They mellow things down a bit with “Let The Fight Do The Fighting” but go right back into a jam where they channel their inner U2 (oh come on, you can hear it in the vocals) on the SUPERB “No Snow On The Mountain”.

This is a fantastic, feel-good album that feels more like a summer or spring release than a winter one. I just get lost in this album every time I listen to it. It’s nothing Earth-shattering, but it doesn’t need to be.

Listen to “When I Was Young” below!

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