Nada Surf - 'The Moon is Calling'

Record Store Day 2011 may have pushed the holiday to the point of oversaturation, but at least indie rock act Nada Surf has stayed true to the day’s tenants – for two years in a row, the group has offered a limited edition, unique release of quality tunes. Last year saw the release of a covers album, If I Had a Hi-Fi; this year brings The Moon is Calling, a two-track seven-inch previewing the group’s eventual seventh album.

Nada Surf’s discography can be summed up with two songs: “Popular,” the group’s grunge guide to dating, and “Happy Kid,” one of the band’s first tracks released after their indie rock makeover. Nada Surf has slowly built up a reputation thanks to beautifully melancholy songs like “Happy Kid” that eclipses the one-hit wonder status of “Popular,” but it also means the group has rarely deviated from this formula on Let Go, The Weight is a Gift, Lucky or Hi-Fi. The Moon is Calling continues that soft rock trend.

But hey, the guys have a winning formula, and both songs sound pleasant. “The Moon is Calling” packs an agreeable chorus and moves along nicely. “You’re Going to Miss the Wood” is slightly surprising, if only for the propulsive 16th note beat provided by drummer Ira Elliot. This song actually has some bite to it, thanks mostly to the urget way Elliot beats his kit.

Whether or not “Wood” reflects the upcoming full-length is unforeseeable. Not to bury the lead, but Moon can be summed up thusly: Nada Surf still sounds Nada Surfy.

Nada Surf - 'If I Had a Hi-Fi'

If Record Store Day is the best holiday ever (and it totally is), then 2010 marked the best celebration of the day so far. Aside from the douches who put the Hold Steady exclusives up on eBay the day before (Dicks! Dicks for days!), April 17 was a day for picking up seven-inches and giggling like the school-girliest school girl. One RSD exclusive that I’ve been rocking all weekend is Nada Surf’s covers album, If I Had a Hi-Fi. While the album has been available at Nada Surf’s shows for a little while now, RSD marked the first time it was available in stores.

Which is somewhat of a shame since Hi-Fi is another reliably friendly mid-tempo indie rock success for the group. Sure, they’re still running the Let Go playbook, but the band’s style is so dang agreeable that this album deserves a wider release. And while these are all covers, Nada Surf truly makes them their own.

Granted, part of the album’s success has to do with the song selection. Between Hi-Fi and Tori Amos’ take on Strange Little Girls, I suspect that Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence” is one of those songs that cannot be ruined. Just like on Girls, “Silence” is a highlight, as frontman Matthew Caws reworks the song’s hook for maximum catchiness. Put this one on a mix tape, stat.

I need to admit, though, that part of my love of this collection might stem from a place of ignorance. While I know of acts like the Moody Blues and Kate Bush, I don’t know their discography. Does it mean I enjoy covers of “Question” and “Love and Anger” less than is possible? Not necessarily – Nada Surf rocks “Question” like their still touring behind High/Low (featuring popular pop tune “Popular!”), and that’s something I feel qualified to enjoy quite a bit.

Much like Let Go, The Weight is a Gift and Lucky, If I Had a Hi-Fi is light, catchy and expertly sequenced. With covers ranging from the Soft Pack to Coralie Clement, it offers a look inside Nada Surf’s musical tastes. Turns out dudes know some good tunes.

If I Had a Hi-Fi will see a wide release June 8.