Music Review: Nada Surf's “If I Had a Hi-Fi”

Nada Surf's “If I Had a Hi-Fi”

Music Review

By our guest blogger, Megan O'Malley

Each Nada Surf album falls right in line with the one previous to it. Their progression is so natural and fluid. “If I Had a Hi-Fi” picks up where their last album left off. The songs heartfelt and lead singer Matthew Caws has just the right amount of sincerity and beauty in his voice. This is a group that has honed their sound--the sound they wanted to create.

The beginning of “If I Had a Hi-Fi” sounds a bit like their earlier stuff, especially on the track “Enjoy the Silence.” As with all Nada Surf albums, the songs sort of harmoniously blend into one another until listeners find a notable piece. “You Were So Warm” breaks out beautifully. Nada Surf has a sweet sentimentality about them and it seeps into their albums. “Bye Bye Beaute” gives their album a worldly influence with the French lyrics. “I Remember What I Was going to Say” just kind of drifts off into quiet obscurity its a fitting end for the album.

Overall, “If I Had a Hi-Fi” isn’t a creative stretch for Nada Surf but it has a nice sound. The album follows Nada Surf’s natural musical progression but every once in a while it seems like they could be doing more. This is the sound Nada Surf produces and it can be heard over and over again on each of their albums. It’s a great album for those chill nights at home. Nada Surf has created a simple friendly sound that exudes positive vibrations.