Nada Surf Let Go 2LP (Turquoise Vinyl)

Founded in 1992, Nada Surf (Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca, Ira Elliot, and their longtime friend and collaborator, Louie Lino) has only grown more creative and resourceful as time has marched on, each consecutive release notable for the quality of its craft as well as Caws' ongoing growth as both songwriter and human being. 2022 sees the New York City-based band celebrating the 20th anniversary of their seminal Barsuk Records debut album, Let Go.

Nostalgic and current, hazy and vibrant, Let Go is a sumptuous collection that gets better with each listen.

Layer after layer of preconceived notions and excess noise are stripped away to unveil both soft-spoken charm and intense newfound confidence. Upbeat, electrified fare like 'Hi-Speed Soul' and the Foo Fighters-lite of 'The Way You Wear Your Head' is now the exception to the rule established by predominantly acoustic numbers like 'Blizzard of '77,' 'Fruit Fly,' and 'Neither Heaven nor Space,' all of which strike a heartaching chord with their bewitching melancholy. The French-sung 'La Pour Ca' offers a mesmerizing, Pink Floyd-styled laziness, while additional mellow highlights such as 'Inside of Love,' 'Blonde on Blonde,' and 'Paper Boats' somehow manage to sound sadly introspective and positively sunny at the same time, welcoming the listener to doze in their arms. Not exactly a reinvention as much as a reaffirmation of their original purpose, Let Go seems to mark a new beginning for Nada Surf.