On 2005’s The Weight Is a Gift, this Brooklyn-based trio — best known for their smart-alecky ’96 alt-rock fluke “Popular” — searched for big answers with mature introspective songcraft (produced by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla). But the quest for enlightenment ends on their fifth studio album, as Matthew Caws sings matter-of-factly, “Life is just bets anyway,” on the mildly anthemic “See These Bones.” Nada Surf face everyday life’s cacophony with a pleasant, unfaltering, even sugary approach. The acoustic-driven jaunt “I Like What You Say” and wearily hopeful “Here Goes Something” (about being a young father) arrive with uncertain smiles as the band spools out comforting melodies, taking life in stride.
Now Hear This: Nada Surf – “See These Bones” DOWNLOAD MP3
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