Reviews
Nada Surf
The Weight Is A Gift
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Add to del.ico.us.Review Date: 2005-09-26
Most casual music fans have the same reaction when the name Nada Surf is mentioned. They all remember "Popular", and usually follow up stating remembering that song with some sort of a statement about how they are massive one hit wonders. I can't argue that. In terms of commercial mainstream popularity, Nada Surf without a doubt qualifies as a massive one hit wonder. I mean... the song was even a gimmick song, that appealed to teen angst and had a well calculated video. "Popular" is about as good of an example of an ultimate one hit wonder as I could even think to mention. But where most fans fuck up is to write a band off just because they can classify as a one hit wonder. Why is it a band or an artist can have a long career without any mainstream hits and get showered with praise, but a similar band/artist has one hit and the rest of their music is discredited?
I only own "High/Low" the album that features the aforementioned "Popular" and to this day I will argue with anyone who doesn't admit it is a quality album. I have heard some of their other releases, and have always maintained that the band never received anything near to a fair shake. They are a good-to-great band, who has consistently released great and consistent music in their 10 plus years on the scene. "This Weight Is A Gift" quite likely is the best album they have released to date. Believe it or not, nearly 10 years after Nada Surf last made a blip on the mainstream music radar screen this album might just be good enough for them to re-surface in the near future.
I saw a pretty big promotion set up for the album in the "hip new indie releases" section at HMV, and have been hearing nothing but praise for it around the internet. Having heard it a handful of times myself I find myself wondering if any song will jump out as a single, but if one is able to do so Nada Surf will rise from the dead and be back on the radio and a whole new generation of highschoolers will run out and buy this album. Maybe they can be 2 hit wonders?
"This Weight Is A Gift" doesn't even sound anything like the band that sung "Popular". This album drifts through indie-pop, rock, punk-pop, alternative, and even some emo mixed throughout. They do this while maintaining an addictive catchy groove, and using easy to understand lyrics that are both easy to sing along too, and applicable to most of the listener's own lives. Don't be mislead by that punk-pop label either, this isn't going to be confused for Simple Plan. Nobody will ever listen to this and accuse the band of trying to sound too catchy, it just does that effortlessly. It appeals to the nostalgia of a music era long since deceased, and yet spruces it up and keeps it current enough that it has its finger right on the pulse of what the current music scene demands. And it just keeps getting better every time I listen. Here we go again.
The album commences with a tight little punk-pop tune called "Concrete Bed". What is the different between punk-pop and pop-punk? The difference is the focus isn't on making it sound catchy and poppy and getting on the radio, the focus is on creating a melodic punk song that isn't even a little bit abbrassive. This song definitely has some emo worked into it as well, but not that screaming intense emo bullshit.... just the lyrics and the way the vocals are delivered. This isn't rocket science. Just a cool recycled guitar riff, over some intelligent but easy to understand lyrics. My favourite one, "To find someone you love, you gotta be someone you love, To find someone you love, you gotta call your own bluff." Nada Surf has a knack for crafting tight little songs that all of their listeners can easily relate too. That is one of the best ways a band can survive and thrive with little to no mainstream exposure.
The momentum just keeps on going with the next song "Do It Again" which might be one of the songs on the album that has a fighting chance to breakthrough on the radio. Why? Well it has a bit more energy, and it is a bit less subtle in how good the song is. I'll be frank, on my first listen I thought this album was average. It definitely took three or four listens to start to appreciate it like I do now. This song has more of an edge to it musically, the bass is turned up, and the guitar is a lot less chill than on the previous song. And the chorus is highly energized almost reminds me of Limblifter or Age Of Electric with a little less manic. If you watch Much Wedge any Friday night you are bound to hear four or five new songs that sound just like this but aren't anywhere near as good. The lead vocalist from Nada Surf's voice actually reminds me a bit of Elliott Smith if he were ever to do more of a rock/punk/emo album rather than what he did (which was absolutely amazing, just saying.) Lyrically again this song has some wicked lines, "I spent all my energy, wondering if this weight was a gift" being the best one here.
So, "What Is Your Secret" was in a recent track fu done by Terri and it lost out to Ok, Go. I wasn't shocked that it lost, and honestly at the time I put it in I didn't even appreciate the song as much as I do now. My guess is with repeat listens Terri would agree with me that this song shoulda won or came damn close to winning track fu. Nada Surf makes a more pure alternative song here that harks back to the style of music that was big in the early 90's and is almost as extinct as dinosaurs at this point. They revitalize the sound by weaving it with an updated emo sound and the result is fucking brilliant. I'm sure lots of people will write off this music because of the obvious emo stamp on a lot of it, and so keep that in mind should you endeavour to listen to it. However, if you can handle music that appeals to your softer side then this entire album should impress. Nada Surf are masters of the simple but powerful lyrics, again another example, "I dont care about you anymore, the people got tired our movies don't play much anymore, the actress was fired. I don't think about you anymore, try not to think about you."
Ok so if you downloaded some of these songs and were like I need something with more energy the next song should satisfy your hunger for rock. "Armies Walk" is about as close to that one-hit wonder sound that you'll remember from "Popular", and not because it has spoken word commentary on the moron from your highschool who still hangs out at the bar downtown trying to get sisters of people he once went to highschool with to suck his dick, but just in the energy. Clearly the band has matured with their age, and now no longer have interest in making anthemic music for highschool students but that is a good thing. I love this song, it has energy and I can rock out to it but it still has everything else I like in a song. It doesn't abandon good lyrics, it doesn't use energy as an excuse to slack off musically. It is just a great song, that happens to also be one that you can rock out too. It falls somewhere between Ted Leo & The Pharmacists and an alternative band like Raising The Fawn.
"This Weight Is A Gift" has 11 songs, all of which are decent at the worst and great at the best. Once I find this album for a semi-decent price I'll be adding it to my collection, but HMV 20.99 isn't going to get it done so drop that price biatch! If I had my way this type of music would be more prevalent in the industry. Instead bands like Gavin Rosdale's new Staind rip off Institute come out and get all sorts of press, and albums like this struggle to even reach a point where listeners hear about them. It sucks. But then again... there is a certain comfort in having a band like this to yourself. I just hope that the band gets some rewards out of releasing an album that might rank in the top 10 albums released in 2005, because they deserve it.
Songs to download: Anything I mentioned but honestly my advice is to get the entire torrent because it is that good.
Score: 9.1
Nada Surf may never live down the one hit wonder status that has haunted them for years, but I am glad it hasn't stopped them from releasing great music and evolving into a band that is light years better than the band that released the song they are cursed with years ago.
- Dan