West Palm Beach band Surfer Blood has had a shaky, controversial past three years. Their darker 2013 album “Pythons” was released in wake of lead singer John Paul Pitts’ arrest for domestic violence. A revival of their established jovial, beachy aura seemed to be in the cards, though the album was still tinged with the sentiments of Pitts’ personal drama.
Then there was the sudden death of guitarist Thomas Fekete to cancer in 2016. While he had already left the band, the loss of a founding member inspired their latest release “Snowdonia,” a tribute album to Fekete. This tragedy does not take away from their quintessential poppy, surf-rock sound, though. If anything, the band does justice to Fekete’s memory by emerging with a matured, more variable sound less present in past albums.
The album kicks off with “Matter of Time” and “Frozen,” two songs that solidify their trademark beachy sound with the heavy reverb on the backing guitar and light, candid vocals from Pitts. “Matter of Time” especially establishes a bright, fun sound before “Frozen” introduces somber, tense themes about the inevitability of the passage of time in its chorus.
Transitioning into “Dino Jay,” downbeat chords and a slower pace take the forefront of the sound without seeming overtly melancholic. This sense is especially apparent in the powerful, wailing vocals of the song’s chorus. “Dino Jay” presents an impressive precursor to one of the longer songs and more apparent tribute songs of the album “Six Flags in F or G.”
“Six Flags in F or G” begins with much more complicated guitar riffs and a tense pace. The solo riffs evoke a more rustic western sound as the band directly references the loss of Fekete in its opening lyrics — “Caught up in a pissing contest / Gasping empty air / I’m losing precious time / So don’t keep me in mind.” The latter half of the song releases the introduction’s tension by transitioning into a slower, more laid back pace. The band mentions Fekete again in the closing lines of the chorus, “One of these days / We’ll never be apart again.”
The title song “Snowdonia” displays the stylistic growth the band has accomplished. It is the longest song of the album at nearly eight minutes, though it seems much shorter as the delicate guitar solo intro effortlessly evolves into vocals and more simplified backing instrumentals. Accompanied by bassist and sole female member Lindsey Mills’ vocals, the song is a pleasant balance of airy joy in the verses and a stronger, pulsating chorus.
Adopting darker lyrics and instrumental experimentation, “Snowdonia” exemplifies the classic appeal of Surfer Blood’s sound while introducing a welcome, matured approach to its execution.
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