Surfer Blood: All The Right Spots

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In the irresistible "I'm Not Ready," Surfer Blood proves that its astronomically fun debut was no fluke.

Courtesy of the artist

In the irresistible "I'm Not Ready," Surfer Blood proves that its astronomically fun debut was no fluke.

There must be something therapeutic about a catchy song. Maybe it restores neuronal pathways to latch onto and immediately find comfort in a new piece of music. With that premise, Surfer Blood is a band of witch doctors. The low-fidelity, 10-second juke that begins the Florida group's Tarot Classics EP sounds a lot like dusting off the old boom box. What follows is a seemingly all-too-easy payoff: The faders come up, cue the band, and it's four tracks of Surfer Blood hitting absolutely all the right spots.

The group released its astronomically fun debut Astro Coast in 2010 and, as these things go, no one would have been shocked if its second go-'round was a great big belly-flop — it's far from it, thank goodness. The group has had comparisons heaped upon it since day one: most of all, Weezer. In "I'm Not Ready," though, John Paul Pitts' croon more resembles Morrissey than Rivers Cuomo, with that iconic cadence when he wails, "Honestly..." Throughout the EP, and "I'm Not Ready" in particular, Surfer Blood proves that it's got more than just a lucky solution. Its chemistry ought to keep paying dividends for many albums to come.