Summer isn’t over yet, so crank up that surf rock and hit the waves!
Oh wait, you’re not familiar with surf rock? Well let me introduce to you a perfect representation of what surf rock is. They’re a band that goes by the name of The Sand Dollars. They’re a group from Melbourne, Australia, and they have a righteous, wave-slashing tune to accompany them. They became a band back in 2012, and recently put out their first album entitled ‘A Strange Sunshine’ this year.
Before I get into things, I must compare them to some other bands to let you all know what they sound like. They have a lot of sounds that can be compared to The Strokes and The Shins. And while some might completely hate me for saying this, The Sand Dollars really reminded me of The Beatles. Yes, I just compared a new surf rock band to the legendary Beatles. Get over it.
I was instantly stoked on these guys after hearing their first track ‘That Girl’. It wasn’t a song that eased you into the album; it was a song that came screaming at you with full force. It projected that vintage 70’s beach volleyball image in my head. A real sepia toned scene with a ton of people who were grinning from ear to ear. The guitar is phenomenal and has a really high tone, which gives that authentic beach rock vibe.
While the drummer doesn’t have anything extensive and super difficult to play, he does keep up with everyone, and pulls it all together. I think I enjoy the drummer the most out of everyone in the band. I believe his name is Joe Simon. Thank you, Joe. You rule. Every hit on the cymbal had me vibing their music even more.
‘Masquerade Me’, ‘Jester and the Fool’, and ‘Paletters’ are also songs of honorable mention. I thoroughly enjoyed the sounds in each of the songs. The singer, Michael has a great voice that I could listen to for days. He’s definitely listened to a fair share of iconic musicians and blended them all together. He’s got some wicked lyrics that really personalize the bands style too. The guitarist, Yehudi is definitely worth a solid mention. He leads the band really well and holds it down on minor solos. Declan plays the bass. And while the bass player rarely gets mentioned, I’d like to say that Declan definitely keeps the beats together. Declan, your work is highly appreciated.
So now that you all have a picture perfect idea of what surf rock is, go pick up your single fin short board and thrash the waves. And when you roll back into the land, fire up the new Sand Dollar album and kick it with the bros!
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