Nada Surf The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy |
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 | Tracklist:
1. Clear Eye Clouded Mind
2. Waiting for Something
3. When I Was Young
4. Jules and Jim
5. The Moon is Calling
6. Teenage Dreams
7. Looking Through
8. Let the Fight Do the Fighting
9. No Snow on the Mountain
10. The Future
Release Date: 01/23/2012 | |
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On 5 Lists
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| Summary: Age is just a number. |
It’s a bit counterintuitive, but early 40-somethings Nada Surf seem to be growing less and less jaded and cynical as the years wind by. They were big once, properly alternative-rock-radio big with 1996’s snarky hit “Popular,” and the only place it got them was the one-hit wonder section in your local FYE’s bargain bin. That is so often the problem with novelty hits, which the spoken-word, eminently contemptuous “Popular” obviously was, and Nada Surf have since made a career out of being the most earnest band in indie. In the hands of another group a painfully wide-eyed title like The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy would likely be the setup to a contradictory punch line – under the direction of the same band who named a song “Always Love” without a hint of artifice, it’s just another example of the kind of unfeigned sincerity these aging optimists do so well.
For most of The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy, Nada Surf are a blur of high-energy power chords and a hard-charging rhythm section in bassist Daniel Lorca and drummer Ira Elliot that plays in a remarkable lockstep with each other. Aside from first single “When I Was Young,” which slows things down to focus on predictably cringe-inducing lyrical nostalgia, everything is tight and focused, polished clean and dashed with a healthy bit of punk-influenced crunch courtesy of producer Chris Shaw. Vocalist Matthew Caws still has that flawless tenor that gives his vocals an eternally youthful vigor, and Shaw’s work in focusing the mix on his inimitable voice while maintaining a strong focus on the power of Caws’ guitar gives The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy a pleasantly gutsy live feel. It’s the right call for an album that is filled to the brim with enthusiastic statements like “it’s never too late for teenage dreams” and other assorted feel-good credos. Caws may be approaching middle age, but he has rarely sounded as conflicted and/or hopelessly romantic as he does here, one minute lamenting the expectations of youth on “When I Was Young” and the next sounding utterly pleased at the results on “Teenage Dreams” – “sometimes I ask the wrong questions, but I get the right answers.”
It’s par for the course for Caws, who has made a career out of that ageless yelp and a decision to not worry too much about what he’s saying, instead focusing on how he says it. Caws’ energy is infectious – it’s impossible not to sing along with the sweet clichés he leaves hovering over raucous tunes like “Clear Eye Clouded Mind” or “No Snow on the Mountain.” Even when he’s wallowing in sap, you still get the feeling that he honestly just wants to let you know how he’s feeling, as directly and artlessly as possible. For all of “When I Was Young’s” oppressive sentimentality and cloying acoustic vibe, when Caws sings, “when I was young, I didn’t know if I was better off asleep or up / now I’ve grown up, I wonder what was that world I was dreaming of,” his frankness is enough to tug at the heartstrings of even the most jaded 9-to-5ers. Caws’ shock at the end of the album that he “can’t believe the future’s happening to me” is another likely touchstone for Nada Surf fans, particularly those who have stuck with the band for the long haul and are likely approaching that age where “Popular” is as anachronistic to them as the rest of those cloudy teenage years. Luckily for them, Nada Surf is proof that growing old doesn’t have to be full of regrets and missed opportunities – if their career arc proves anything, it’s that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. They have kept going largely on an indefatigable attitude and a firm grasp of the finer points of the three-minute pop song, and few bands can regularly write the kind of hooks that The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy builds itself around. Improbable but true; as these ten mostly filler-free tracks prove, Nada Surf only look to be growing more confident in their old age.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
god i love this band
Always Love is like one of my favourite songs ever
teenage dreams is pure nada surf
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great review but writes like its more than a 3.5
I used to play the proximity effect nonstop for ayear or two but then they just slipped of my radar, never heard anything else of theirs except for the proximity effect, which i didnt like at all.
dunno if i should check this one out or not
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Lucky is best.
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will investigate
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
This is definitely one of their better records but yeah Lucky is my favorite.
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sup with the album art
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| | | Album Rating: 4
Why is the album cover "Bic Runga Belle". Nice review.
Digging: KMFDM - WTF?! Digging: KMFDM - WTF?! | | |
Great review Rudy.
I'm so happy that folks are slowly getting back to reviewing again. The year has finally truly started =)
Digging: My Bloody Valentine - Loveless Digging: My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Nothing special
Digging: Swarms - Low Sun EP Digging: Swarms - Low Sun EP | | |
well ill definitely look into this now
Digging: Fatboy Slim - Fatboy Slim's Greatest Remixes Digging: Fatboy Slim - Fatboy Slim's Greatest Remixes
| | | Album Rating: 4
"No snow on the moutain" sounds like U2 at times.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
No Snow on the Mountain is my favorite off the album. Sounds like something off of Lucky.
| | | Album Rating: 4
There seems to be so many "lucky" fans. I like "lucky" but it is nothing compared with "let go" or "the proximity effect" in my opinion.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Let Go is probably their best, Lucky is my second favorite
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to make a mountain of. your life is just a choice. but i never learned enough. to listen to the voice that told me
Digging: SebastiAn - Remixes Digging: SebastiAn - Remixes
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I think I hate this band but their music is always on How I Met Your Mother and I think it's growing on me
Digging: Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030 Digging: Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030
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I have to say, as an astronomer working on stars, I kind of feel offended ;)
| | | Album Rating: 4
Yeah ! I think this title is kinda harsh.
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What are the TOP 3 songs i gotta listen to on this album?
| | | Album Rating: 4
The moon is calling, when I was young, let the fight do the fighting and the opening track.
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