Review Summary: I'm quite surprised that this band didn't make it big. In a time full of hokey and quite awful "post-grunge" and "Nu Metal" bands, Nada Surf could've been the next big thing.
I discovered Nada Surf after reading about Ozma, and automatically went to check out this album. At first listen, it seemed kind of dull. Comparing it to bands like Weezer and Superdrag, this album didn't seem to strike me automatically like "The Blue Album" may have. But for some reason I kept going to this album and listening to it. It took a few listens to fully understand the greatness this debut album holds.
High/Low is the only major label release by Nada Surf, and the only album that left a dent in popular music; mostly because of the hit single "Popular." I guess I should get this song with right away. Many critics refer to this song as a Weezer rip-off, which I tend to disagree. Being a Weezer "fanboy" myself, I see similarities with "Popular" and "Undone (The Sweater Song). Both have talking, both have a quiet-loud-quite structure between the verses and choruses, and both talk about society and popularity. But where Weezer went quirky and goofy with the concept of conformity and society destroying an outcasts sense of being different, Nada Surf was a lot more specific. They targeted how shallow it is to strive and be popular really is in high school, and being a Senior in high school currently, I totally understand the frustration and satire that comes from this song. While Undone is whimsical, Popular is straight up angsty. And that's what I like out of rock from this period of time.
I feel like this album is something that Daria (from the animated series of the same name) would listen to. It just has a sense of angst that I really enjoy, but not the kind of angst from grunge bands from 1991-1995. High/Low has a more indie tone to it as compared to a Post-Grunge vibe. Deeper Well, The Plan, Tree House, Psychic Carmel, and Hollywood are the more upbeat songs from the album while Stalemate, Popular, and Icebox are a bit more reserved. But I feel that the true king of this album is Zen Brain. This song makes the album in my opinion, and has lyrics that seem stupid at first, but examine into someone losing their sense of psychological stability and I enjoy this song more than any song on the album.
As a musician, it's nice to see that this band doesn't rely to heavily on simple Power Chord structure too often, and they bring some pretty cool chords into their songs, especially during a time where bands like Green Day made an entire career off of that.
So High/Low favors quite well for me, and I really suggest it to those looking for bands that follow in the kind of Power Pop/Alternative that bands like Weezer, That Dog, and The Rentals made back in the mid 1990's.
Pros:
Great Songwriting and Musicianship
Catchy Songs
A good amount of variety
With the exception of "Popular," the album doesn't sound very dated
Cons:
Can get quite boring towards the middle of the album
The band wasn't exactly revolutionary, and kind of built off of what Weezer helped make popular, just with more angst.
