Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA  | France's Hydroids first outing is a 12 song lo-fi demo with a dark murky anger and a rough sound. There is a lot of energy displayed here, and promise of fiery surf to come. |
Picks: Instrumental Danger, Time Bomb, Bombora, 33 Twist, Squad Car, Pipeline, Journey To The Stars, Surf Creature, Exotic, Sand Bones, Intoxica, Surf Party
Track by Track Review
Surf (Instrumental)
Dark and brooding, murky and a bit angry, the relentless riff of "Instrumental Danger" is minimalist like many early surf grinders, and shows fiery playing and energy. Live, this must be a loud pounder.
Surf (Instrumental)
The Avengers VI's often covered "Time Bomb" is driven hard and loud. Lots of angst and energy in this tuff cover.
Surf (Instrumental)
The Original Surfaris' dark and dangerous "Bombora" is all murked out with real danger and surf power. Quite true to the original, and very commanding.
Surf (Instrumental)
"33 Twist" is a riff rocker with a frat rockin' edge and burpy vocalization. Lots of energy and spunk here. The drum break is a little long, not that it's long, just repetitious.
Surf (Instrumental)
Paul Johnson's rippin' surf epic "Squad Car" is powered hard and dangerously. Sirens, peeling out, and lots of reverby gnarl. Great, dark, gnarly surf.
Surf (Instrumental)
Perhaps thee definitive surf instro, the Chantays' "Pipeline" is hard and double-pick dangerous. Dark and murky, like an invasion of body surfers after midnight!
Surf (Instrumental)
The Ventures' "Journey To The Stars" is fast and dark, and grodie, with lots of energy and splash. While it's pretty true to the original, the murky angst adds darkness and power.
Surf (Instrumental)
Bob Hafner's tweaky "Surf Creature" is played much as the Phantom Surfers used to do it, and about as murky. With abandon, the Hydroids pump out the song like there's no tomorrow.
Surf (Instrumental)
With the arrangement based primarily on the Bob Vaught and the Renegaids version, the The Hydroids power splash the song into a frenzy of reverb and edge. Way cool.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Sand Bones" is fast and dangerous, and not very melodic in the beginning. Once into the main body of the song, it moves into a more jammy melody line that portrays an aquatic threat.
Surf (Instrumental)
Neal Nissensen's inebriated "Intoxica" is driven in the frat surf vein. It's not as cool as the Ape Men's grodie treatment, but it's significantly better than the Phantom Surfers version.
Surf (Instrumental)
Bobby Beverly and William Dunham wrote this for the soundtrack to the film of the same name. The Astronauts did the track for the film, and a huge number of bands have covered it since. This is true to the source arrangement wise, but darker and murkier.
