In what must be a conscious effort to pay tribute to early 2000s pop-punk masters, Surfer Blood have created a sugary sweet follow up to their 2010 powerhouse hit Astro Coast ahead of their Splendour In The Grass appearance.
Diving right into jangly pop wonder ‘Demon Dance’, a whirling guitar riff and catchy hard-hitting drum line works perfectly alongside frontman John Paul Pitts’ winning witty lyricism.
Surfer Blood’s echoed melodies are back in pop-punk teaser ‘Gravity’ that is reminiscent of the playfulness of a 2001 era Jimmy Eat World. The aching reverb and genius harmonies are a nice call-back to that era of pop punk, and the band excel at it.
Following lead single ‘Weird Shapes’, the album takes a turn for the sincere with the outfit feeding off of legendary producer Gil Norton (Foo Fighters, Pixies) and his mastery throughout the record.
Pleading and pain-riddled, Pitts sings of lies and loss on ‘I Was Wrong’, a solemn note for the usually upbeat band. There are distant yells from the frontman throughout the ten-track that explores a brighter, more powerful world of emotion for Pitts.
But the album doesn’t stay solemn for too long with the band returning to their surfy pop ways on breezy track ‘Needles and Pins’.
Putting their very own dirty spin on simple pop songs, Surfer Blood have created an exceptional and unmistakably unique sound that marries echoed vocals with ready-for-radio guitar riffs seen on sing-a-long number ‘Slow Six’ and final bittersweet track ‘Prom Song’.
Certainly a more polished and fuller sound that their earlier releases, Pythons picks up where turn of the century pop punk artists left off and offers a lean, punchy and damn catchy record.
