Surf Trash – Under the Radar: 13th Floor EP Review

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Surf Trash lay down a brace of sparkling power pop songs on second EP Under the Radar.

From Newcastle, Australia, they are trio of two brothers and a best mate. Andy Scott lead vocals and drums and Nick Scott bass. Lachlan Jackson plays guitar behind the engine room.

These young guys have shown a tremendous work ethic since releasing their first single at the tail-end of 2017.

Taking their cue from the great Surf Punks in the latter Seventies, a Californian duo who combined punk with the late revival of classic surf music to come up with bratty, witty power pop and possibly a forward nod to the soon-to-emerge Beastie Boys.

Hence the present-day Surf groups.

Debut EP Busy Doing Nothing dropped in 2019 and had their hard abrasive rhythms behind sharp lead guitar riffs. Lots of punk energy and perfect for the mosh pit of the small venue or the bedroom.

These guys are self-managed. They arrange their own tours, make and sell merch around the globe, and design their own poster and EP cover art.

Lockdowns and general fear in the country put a dampener on all this. This has influenced the half-dozen songs that make up Under the Radar into a hook-laden, melodic and slightly softer power pop.

Producer and engineer Jack Nigro (DMA’s, Julia Jacklin, Pacific Avenue, Vanilla Gorilla) has been able to widen the palette of their sound.

I Might Fall in Love could be an early Buzzcock’s song title. The sound is reminiscent of the Beserkly record label that ruled power pop for a while, in the mid-Seventies to early Eighties. Lots of jangling guitar, slowing down for the bridge, changes the tempo after.

The singer has a clean, well-pitched tenor with just the right amount of grit in the production.

Similar workouts on Each Other’s Pockets and Still a Dreamer. On the latter you can hear the echoes of the Only Ones’ Another Girl, Another Planet from the singer.

That’s the Night is a shaggy-dog story about connecting and romance.

The Last One takes a different approach, coming close to a ballad. Come back down and open your mind/ Take you to the city where the light shines/ Be cool/ Don’t lose your mind. They wind up the intensity to a satisfying finale.

Title track Under the Radar is closest to the sound of their first EP. It has some of the power pop energy of a group like The dB’s.

This was the only track off this EP they played on stage when I saw them recently in Auckland. They were starting their most ambitious tour to date, playing in New Zealand for the first time. High in energy, good nasty guitar riffs enhanced by a second rhythm guitarist. Well-disciplined and they appear to be seasoned pros.

Under the Radar has Surf Trash expanding on their surf punk sound into some very tasty power pop indeed.

Rev Orange Peel

 

   

 

Marty Duda
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