Nada Surf - Let Go

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Free Music Notes for Let Go

Free Music Review: Not groundbreaking, but stellar anyway
Hit: 5 Stars

The one complaint I have is that the album lacks obvious originality--on Let Go, Nada Surf sometimes sound like "Bends"-era Radiohead, or Elliott Smith or New Order or Coldplay. It may not bring much new to the table, but so what? How dare they operate in existing genres! It's done so well, so confidently, and the songwriting is so strong that this complaint seems superfluous. Nada Surf don't hijack their influences, they suggest them with reverence.

While the production tends to suggest other bands, there is definitely some good craftmanship here, subtle dissonances and restrained ambience. Matthew Caws is a strong singer and the band has good chemistry, which the production is careful to preserve (esp. evident on "Neither Heaven Nor Space," "Happy Kid"). The ballads move at a perfectly hypnotic pace.

The album's biggest strength is its melodies. Every song has a satisfying, catchy melody, and the ballads are simply beautiful ("Killian's Red," "Paper Boats" in particular). Lyrically, Nada Surf are simple but in a subtle and intelligent way, introspective without being mopey. Some people might be quick to complain about lyrics like "I wanna know what it's like/On the inside of love" but Nada Surf pull it off easily. On that song ("Inside Of Love") they display a reverence for pop, in particular the way a great pop song can make potentially hammy lyrics seem deeper than they should. Most of the lyrics on Let Go aren't that obvious. They reveal new layers with repeated listening, just the right amount of depth.

Overall the album is simply satisfying in a way few pop records are, gently catchy, melancholy but spry, perfect (as others have said) for a rainy day. If you're too cool for pop, you'll probably hate Let Go. Everyone else will hear an album full of songs that stand up to the very best of their genre. Forget about "Popular," people! To hold a grudge over that song would be a big mistake--Nada Surf deserve to be regarded as a serious indie band.

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