Reverb Central .:. Review .:.

The music here is a combination of surf and attempts at surf through the structures of early rock instros. A few songs are pretty strong, but many seem to be underdeveloped. This CD-R collects a number of ambiently recorded tracks, perhaps early in the development cycle. The low quality of the drums give the CD an amateur sound, as do some of the less melodic tracks.

Picks: Avenger, Merseyside, Chupa Cabras, Firecracker, Boomerang, Rancho Cucamonga, Flashpoint, Marengo, Devilry, Venturesome, Moon Over Pompeii, Wicked

Surf (Instrumental)

This song is based in the tradition of vintage instros with a simple riff driving the track. "Avenger" sports some nice whammy action, and big twang. While it's just a demo mix, the song is quite compelling.

Surf (Instrumental)

The jangle you'd expect from a song titled "Merseyside" is here. It reminded me immediately of Gerry and the Pacemakers frothy pop ballads.

Surf (Instrumental)

"Chupa Cabras" (isn't it actually chupacabras?) may be misspelled "Churpa Cobras" on the label, but the Mexican flavor and mysterious moodiness and ambiance create a black lace vision of mythical creatures seen through rose colored glasses. Dramatic and romantic.

Surf (Instrumental)

"Firecracker" is a light weight instro with a catchy little riff and hand claps. It has a vintage small combo rock sound that's quite warm.

Surf (Instrumental)

"Boomerang" is an empty audio file. No sound, and no length.

Surf (Instrumental)

On the heavier side aurally, "Rancho Cucamonga" is a riff driven instro that's more basic than I normally like, but it also has some nice moments, a good bridge, and enough splash to keep it interesting.

Surf (Instrumental)

A chord romp in the fifties instro progression style that so many b-sides employed. Gentle and sporting a great damped verse.

Surf (Instrumental)

Cowboys and cactus, serapes and canteens. "Marengo" is a very good song with a grin and a real sense of the outdoors by horseback. The drums are doing great things and the bass is quite solid. The weak recording holds this back from being a full fledged monster.

Surf (Instrumental)

Stompin' and rompin', "Devilry" displays carefree cutbacks and drops. More chord dominated than surf is, but still fun.

Surf (Instrumental)

A mess of Ventures styled melodies and borrowed bits, you can think of it as derivative, or you can view it as a tribute, which I think is more the case. It is full of the life that early Ventures tunes had.

Surf (Instrumental)

The throb of the vibrato guitar gives emotional content to a pretty melody. The intensity of the vibrato is at odds with the softness, giving it a kind of uneasy tension that seems to add to the mood. Very nice song.

Surf (Instrumental)

Dark and moody, double picked and dangerous. "Wicked" is more or less a standard riff based surf romp. The beaks are not very interesting, but the transitions back into the melody line are.