Surfer Blood – Snowdonia

A courageous return that genuinely inspires...

After tragically losing guitarist Thomas Fekete to Cancer last year, Surfer Blood have managed to overcome huge loss with a fourth album that’s their most courageous to date.

Drawing on inspiration from the late guitarist’s favourite bands in his honour, ‘Snowdonia’ shows a maturing of Surfer Blood’s typically sun-soaked power pop. Though they’ve always tempered sadness with sunny melodies, on the likes of the eight-minute title track, they show they’re moving into more expansive territory. From the icy glaciers that adorn the cover, ‘Snowdonia’ could be pitted as the bands most ambitiously leftfield album yet.

Singer John Paul Pitts has spoken of his desire to focus on the vocal harmonies on ‘Snowdonia’, and it’s evident that new member Lindsey Mills brings sweetness to the likes of ‘Dino Jay’ that also gives the record a Shins-esque warmth. And there’s still plenty of crunching power-pop fun to be had though, ‘Six Flags in F and G’ coming on like Black Lips sparring with Breeders. Closer ‘Carrier Pigeon’ offers up a ‘60s-tinged surf-jangle akin to the likes of Teenage Fanclub, written about Pitts’ mother, who the singer also discovered was battling cancer while writing the album.

After an unimaginably tough year, Surfer Blood should reap the rewards of soldiering on. Inspiring stuff.

7/10

Words: Clarke Geddes

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