The Search Continues

Surfing
Megapuss
Vapor, 2008
4 stars

In the lead up to Surfing's release, industry chatter has mainly revolved around the shot of bandmates Devendra Banhart and Greg Rogove's tackle that graces the duo's debut album liner notes. It's fair enough - not every day do a couple of well-respected musicians 'put themselves out there' in such blatant fashion - but in a way it's also a shame, because Surfing's music is just as worthy of our attention. With contributions from Strokes' Fab Moretti and other long-time Banhart comrades, it's a seriously catchy set of '60s-inspired stoner-pop songs. It's summery as all hell (Surfing is the perfect title), but with a bit of a gritty edge - kind of like eating a sandy rainbow Paddle Pop at the beach. Opener Crop Circle Jerk '94 is the kind of jangly beach-pop that Jack Johnson and Ben Harper would sell their acoustic guitars to claim as their own. And the washy, comatose strings of the album's title track evoke old pro surfing videos, with surfers dipping in and out of perfect tubes (yeah, I'm not really up with current surfing lingo), finally belting out the end as the wave falls apart behind them. It's good. It would be a shame if this album became known better as an elaborate dick joke than the solid pop album that it is.

Artwork: F
I'm really sorry, but I really didn't want to see that. It's not that I'm a prude or a square or anything - and overall it's actually a really well designed and produced package - but the front-on shot of the boys' droopy appendages just put me off my lunch.

Published in mX, Thursday November 20, 2008.