Nada Surf: I was aware of the band, but what I was not aware of was the fact that they are a bloody good band that seem to have slipped beneath my rock 'n' roll radar for far too long. That has now changed with the emergence of their 7th studio album, 'The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy'.

This alternative power pop three piece from New York, made up of Matthew Caws (vocals/guitars), Daniel Lorca (bass) and Ira Elliot (drums), have been around since the mid '90s. Although critically acclaimed, their albums have never gained much commercial success. They had a summer hit with their song 'Popular' in 1996 but, after wrangles with Elektra who tried to dictate what they were recording, they broke contract and returned to recording and releasing independently.

The recording of 2010's cleverly titled covers album 'If I Had A HI-Fi' (read it backwards!) inspired Caws into a creative period of songwriting and the fruits of his labour are this new album. After locating to Lorca's rehearsal space in Brooklyn to capture that live practise room feel, and with the addition of Guided By Voices guitarist Doug Gillard, they recorded to a tight schedule to produce what could well be their career defining album.

'Clear Eyed Clouded Minded' sets the pace with an upbeat tempo from the off and the lush vocal harmonies that flow from the speakers immediately have me comparing them to my own personal gods of power pop, The Posies, in their mid Nineties heyday. The combined harmonies are up there with Aur and Stringfellow at their best.

Following song 'Waiting For Something' confirms my belief that this album is going to be something special, three and a half minutes of sublime, infectious melody wrapped up in beautiful warm tones from the guitars of Caw and Gillard. Just enough distortion to give it some balls, but clear enough to hear every note. The sort of sounds only vintage gear can produce, helped along by the top notch production, it's a future summer single in waiting.

There is '60s flavouring in the acoustic opening of 'When I Was Young' - with its lazy, hypnotising harmonies it's a joy to listen to. The subtle instrumentation slowly builds, the combined harmonies ever present, complimenting each other like Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow at their best. With its extended instrumental solo passage it's an early highlight in an album filled with many highs.

The '60s style chords of 'Jules and Jim' with its subtle, chiming xylophone just audible in the mix below the chugging riff, is, again, a beautiful piece of music. The refrain of "I get lost in my mind when you go to sleep" is upbeat, yet soothingly so: lyrically introspective as are most of the songs, in fact it seems a theme of the album overall.

The back to back 'Teenage Dreams' and 'Looking Through' have a very indie, radio friendly vibe to them. The arrangements more regular, they are not as interesting as the opening five songs, though still hook laden, they serve as a breather.

Things end on a high with 'No Snow On The Mountain', a song with a driving beat that builds with a soaring chorus, and should've been the album closer, I reckon. But that title goes to 'The Future', a more steady rocker that wraps things up nicely.

This is one of those albums you can just close your eyes and drift off with, at one with the music in your own personal alternative world. It's a very upbeat album, with genius arrangements, neat time changes and pop hooks aplenty. The more I listen the more there seems to be to discover; it has an enrapturing quality to it that I feel will keep me coming back for more. Even though it's early days,'The Stars..' could well grow to be one of the contenders for a place in the albums of the year. It's the closest I have heard a band come to the sublime sounds created by The Posies, who I feel are hugely underrated, and Nada Surf are a band I now add to that category.

www.nadasurf.com 

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