Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA The Surf-Liners - Where's The Surf?
 | This is an advance of the Surf-Liners long-awaited CD. Now, if they can just get it pressed! |
Picks: Shark-fin Soup, San Onofre Meltdown, You Shoulda Been Here Yesterday, Arroyo de los Frijoles, Five-iron, Charlie Don't Surf, A Journey to the Center of the Surf, Rincon Tiki, Steamer Lane, Realto Rendezvous, Ambulance Chaser, Linguini Beach, Neale's Long Ride
Track by Track Review
Surf (Instrumental)
The moody minor key of "Shark Fin Soup" is dripping reverb and whammy. Infectious and trad oriented, with lots of surfable tone. A very cool track, with a hint of the danger of the tube.
Surf (Instrumental)
"San Onofre Meltdown" sports a catchy melody line with a nod to the Astronauts' "Surf Party," but with a different kind of energy. Excellent trad surf.
You Shoulda Been Here Yesterday Surf (Instrumental)
Long surf chords and distant twang tell a delicate tale of a haunting island curl. "You Shoulda Been Here Yesterday" is quite a pretty piece, with a refined edge and very fine melody line.
Surf (Instrumental)
Spanish themes and rich surf chords invite you to an afternoon ride on a secret Baja tube. "Arroyo de los Frijoles" is rich with imagery and gorgeous tone.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Five-iron" is very aquatic, with damped reverbed notes and a sense of the Citations' "Moon Race." This grows on you. Subtle, yet enticing. Quite cool.
Surf (Instrumental)
"Charlie Don't Surf" is almost a dirge, with low note pathos and delicate damped picking over distant tribal bass and military drums. Moving and ceremonial, this has to be used as a graduation processional at an awards ceremony. Totally unique and very cool! This is not a cover of the Clash's surf epic, but it does sport an eerily similar moodiness.
A Journey to the Center of the Surf Surf (Instrumental)
A big glissando dribbles the intro as the Surf-Liners crash into a classic surf riff. Nicely powered and reverbed, with trad just oozing out of every note.
Surf (Instrumental)
On the soft side of the curl, with a percussion nod to Jamaica, "Rincon Tiki" is a very pretty tune that ripples with vibrato. There's a nod to the legacy of the lighter end of the Sandals. Sunny tropical lagoon afternoons drift across your daydreams here. Totally tubular and really cool.
Surf (Instrumental)
This fluid surf track moves like an eddy, flowing with undulating rhythm and an optimistic sound. Double picked guitar and lots of fine glissandoes. The melody feels like SoCal surf, giving the track an infectious sunny day appeal.
Surf (Instrumental)
Slow shimmering softness oozing vibrato and moody bass. "Realto Rendezvous" harkens to an evening at Dave Myers' pad... I say that because the vibrato and structure could have come from his pen, in a similar vein to Dave's "Driftin'." Very suave.
Surf (Instrumental)
A swift kick of the reverb, sirens blaring, and you're immediately hooked into "Ambulance Chaser." Tribal drums, splashy rhythm, and a nifty riff. A start-stop pattern drives this.
Surf (Instrumental)
Presenting out in a soft shimmering mood through vibrato and a lush melody, "Linguini Beach" is very smooth, and influenced by the spaghetti western genre, while dripping surf. This would be gorgeous documented in hi-fi stereo.
Surf (Instrumental)
A delicate intro leads to a rhythmic pumped up stretched out ringing chord progression before the guitar drops into a playful and very cool damped reverbed double note lead. This will turn out to be a great track in the studio when the time comes.