1000 Palms

by Surfer Blood

Overview

After their major-label dalliance with 2013's Pythons, Surfer Blood returned to their indie roots with 1000 Palms, a strictly D.I.Y. affair recorded in an attic studio above a doctor's office and the home of drummer Tyler Schwarz's parents. The album often feels more like a sigh of relief than a breath of fresh air; the band hasn't sounded this relaxed since Astro Coast, and at times, they come close to recapturing their debut's exuberance. "Grand Inquisitor" packs a lot into two and a half minutes, switching from washy keyboards to galloping riffs and stomping passages with the glee of the recently unshackled, and "Island" is a fine, if bittersweet, example of the fuzzed-out rock that made Astro Coast so winning. Later, "Dorian"'s smooth harmonies and sharp-edged guitars and "Point of No Return"'s intricate hand drums and percussion -- which feel like a throwback to late-'80s baggy -- show that the band can also embellish that sound in ways that feel mature but not staid. The sweet acoustic closing track "NW Passage" is another standout. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	05/12/2015
Label:	Joyful Noise
UPC:	0656605486222
Rank:	159201

Tracks

1. Grand Inquisitor
2. Island
3. I Can't Explain
4. Feast-Famine
5. Point of No Return
6. Saber-Tooth & Bone
7. Covered Wagons
8. Dorian
9. Into Catacombs
10. Other Desert Cities
11. NW Passage

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Surfer Blood   Primary Artist
Michael McCleary   Trombone,Cornet
John Paul Pitts   Guitar,Vocals
Thomas Fekete   Guitar
Kevin Williams   Bass,Keyboards
Tyler Schwarz   Drums

Technical Credits

Surfer Blood   Composer,Engineer,Producer
John Paul Pitts   Producer
Julia Pitts   Cover Art
Brian Rosemeyer   Engineer
Ray Holzknecht   Drum Engineering
Rob Schnapf   Mixing
Mark Chalecki   Mastering