Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA
The Fathoms - Fathomlessdotdotdotdotdot
artworkThis is one of the best modern band trad surf CD's of the year. The Fathoms come from Boston, but they have the chunky damped surf sound down better than nearly any other band around, save for maybe the Woodies. This CD is loaded with stellar original surf, starting right off with the title track, "Fathomless," which is just plain infectious, and there's no known antidote.
Picks: Fathomless, Riptide, Blandingo, Five Fathoms Deep, Groovy Boots, Getaway Car, Piranha, Rockabilly Surfer, Incognito, Backslider, Crystal Ball, Dune Buggy, Night Scene, Brainstorm, Shadow Of A Doubt, Cervesa on dee Mesa, Kwajalein

Track by Track Review


Fathomless dotdotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Totally infectious... rhythm oriented with killer tone and nice changes in both arrangement and tonality to keep it going. This is the stuff of great cruising music. I have trouble playing other tracks from this CD, not because they don't shred, but because this is so totally grand!

Riptide dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Slightly Middle Eastern with cool sax emphasis in all the right places.

Blandingo dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

What can I say. This is one of my favorite modern trad bands. Great sound, good melody, edgy sax counterpoint to the guitars. A rolling down the road to Baja with the top down kinda song.

Five Fathoms Deep dotdotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Similar slightly to something I can't quite place at the moment, this tune has duets between the guitars that are mighty tasty.

Groovy Boots dotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Duane Eddy-esq melody with not too much interest for me, but with groovy sax lines and sounds.

Getaway Car dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Intense whammy action yields to a spy movie chase scene...or so the images go.

Piranha dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

A lead line slightly reminiscent of "Fathomless," but just slightly. It's definitely a driving down the open road to a piranha feast tune...your's or their's...

Rockabilly Surfer dotdotdotdot
Surf Rockabilly (Instrumental)

A Sandals' "TR-6" opener goes quickly into a slightly rockabilly not unlike those the Halibuts might do.

Incognito dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Middle Eastern mystery opens this track, then morphs into the smooth theme for a murder mystery not yet written.

Backslider dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

A big rhythmic number with a very nice melody line, ominous yet welcoming...hum, I had a girlfriend like that once.

Crystal Ball dotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

A tango de fathoms, exotic and surfy.

Dune Buggy dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

If "What'd I Say" had come from the vein richly mined by the Fireballs, we'd be rewarded with this tasty track.

Night Scene dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

What a great cover of a great surf obscuro. Better than the Rumblers original, but not quite as cool as the Eliminators' version.

Brainstorm dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

A deliberately paced tune with a plunky melody line.

Shadow Of A Doubt dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

References here include "Adventures In Paradise" and "Hawaiian Eye."

Cervesa on dee Mesa dotdotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

This tracks has appeared already on several compilations, as well as their first CD. It's cool and melodic, and playful. It has their signature guitar reverb sound. Excellent track.

Kwajalein dotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

A slow growly number with Steve Douglas styled sax lines.