REVIEW: Nada Surf - The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy

Nada Surf - The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy
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If there’s one thing ‘90s rock stalwarts Nada Surf have proved over the past 15 years since “Popular,” it’s that they are anything but a one-hit wonder band. A journey through their back catalog will provide one album after another of consistently strong power pop rock ‘n’ roll. When plenty of their ‘90s contemporaries have faded or lost their spark, Nada Surf only seem to get better as the years go by. On their seventh studio album, the case is no different as they tackle themes of youthful reminiscing, age, time, and the inevitably of what the future might bring.

The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy sees the band challenging themselves with a good measure of both key and tempo changes, as well as more aggressive guitar leads in the form of an increased number of guitar solos. It feels more natural and emotive in a production sense, marking a realization of the band’s intent to capture the essence of their live performances in a studio setting. It’s not as though guitarist/singer Matthew Caws, bassist Daniel Lorca, and drummer Ira Elliot have changed their style, but these 10 songs certainly give the impression of earnestness in both performance and purpose.

“Clear Eye Clouded Mind” is a fantastic opener, launching things off with a blast of distorted power chords and open chords along with a downpour of hi-hat hits; it all flies high to one of the band’s trademark uplifting choruses. “When I Was Young” continues down a similar path as that of Lucky’s “See These Bones”: a hushed, laid back beginning builds to a mighty, almost orchestral, conclusion. “Jules and Jim” is a shimmering, gently invigorating tune with an undercurrent of modulated synthesizer flowing beneath a bright, pleasant mix of acoustic strumming and electric riffing.

The slight Achilles' heel of The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy is its inability to really come together as a whole; it’s a nice collection of songs, but they don’t fully add up to a truly convincing whole. Some of the songs here, like “Clear Eye Clouded Mind” and “Looking Through,” are some of the band’s best, but not all of the 10 tracks match the strength of the standouts. Sometimes those aforementioned key changes/chord changes, feel less like twists and more like jumps working against smooth transitions, specifically on songs “The Moon Is Calling” and “Teenage Dreams.” Both aren’t poor songs by any means, but they conclude feeling stronger in pieces than they do as wholes.

Overall, The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy is another record from one of the few bands around that have yet to truly make any unfortunate missteps in their career. It’s an album that proves you don’t have to mellow with age – if you’ve got the energy, let it out. Nada Surf have always been about celebrating the intricacies and overlooked things in life, maintaining and promoting a sort of confident optimism that there’s something to cheer for in the end: losses can be celebrated just as much as victories and bad days can be celebrated just as much as the good days. It would have been exciting to see the band stepping outside their comfort zone here, but they're still at the top of their game, doing what they do best. The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy is a reassuring power pop rock ‘n’ roll record that drums up anticipation for the next chapter of Nada Surf’s one of a kind career, and it's the first great pop-tinged rock record of the year.

The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy came out yesterday here in the U.S. via Barsuk.

Nada Surf - "When I Was Young"