Nada Surf - 'You Know Who You Are'

Nada Surf are back and bigger with a new album, with deep emotion, stories to tell and glorious production with ‘You Know Who You Are’.

Imagine Tame Impala, R.E.M, Weezer and Kurt Cobain had a love child. The glorious carnation of such would result in the eighth studio-album release ‘You Know Who You Are’ by American indie rock band, Nada Surf.

The New York based band consist of lead singer and guitaristMatthew Caws alongside Ira Elliot, Daniel Lorca and the recent addition to the mix, Doug Gillard. With this being the first album with Gillard being a main band member, fans of Nada Surf are set to hear a fresh new sound.

The opening of the album erupts with strong, California dreamin’-esque vibes in ‘Cold To See Clear’, simmering with laid back vocals. Caws carries us through into a pensive journey with ‘Believe You’re Mine’ looking back on a lost love,‘One day, I'll love somebody else / One day, I'll take care of myself’. ’Friends Hospital’ swoons with its moody opening riffs, steady drum beat and the R.E.M-style laid back vocals of Caws almost sighing, ’So much better that we’re not together’.

The album takes a less laid back tone in the middle of the album and stands on more melancholy ground. ’New Bird’ acts like a mid-way rejuvenation in the middle of the album, with powerful guitars and unapologetic drums. This follows on into‘Out Of The Dark’ which works as an anthem to positivity of sorts. It chants the necessity of ‘Getting yourself around some other people’ and that ‘There’s a reason to get out of bed’. Caws appears to show a deeper insight into his mindset and allows the listener to see the interior designs of his thoughts. In‘Rushing’, Caws admits he can finally exhale, ‘I feel like I can breathe again’. It is lyrics like these which work. Like little gems of endearment.

The title track ‘You Know Who You Are’ is a fierce addition with a relentless drum beat from Elliot, carrying the song through whilst Caws coos over the production with conviction,’You gotta chase something /Look for it’. ‘Gold Sounds’proceeds with a cooled down tone from the vivacious mid section, with thoughts going back towards past love, ‘You’re always in my mind / Since before you were a child’. It provides another tender moment and allows the listener to look back at the tenacity of the beginning of the album.

However, the album ends on a triumphant note with ‘Victory’s Yours’ with the lyrics ‘The fighting is done / The battle is won / Now I’m gone’. It’s certainly a catchy track and gets feet tapping with the consistent beat and guitar progression. It’s a fitting track to end the album on as it works an end credit of sorts. Italso culminates the consistent and troubling path Caws takes us through the album and allows a healthy feeling of resolution.

Over the past 18 years of Nada Surf, themes of love, heartbreak and indecisiveness command and this is felt with each guitar riff and drum snare. ‘You Know Who You Are’ is no different. However, it goes through these emotions in a refreshing new way. It takes the listener through a journey. A journey through failed and lost relationships, self-worth, discovery and also redemption. What next for Nada Surf? Who knows, but what is sure is the name Nada Surf being the name on a lot more lips.

‘You Know Who You Are’ is set to release on March 4th.

Deadpool - Film Review

Ryan Reynolds shocks, spins and straddles all aspects of the term ‘superhero’ and turns it on its head with the comic book adapted film, Deadpool.

Marvel fans and X-Men fans in particular may be aware of a certain Marvel superhero by the name of Wade Wilson aka Deadpool, who graced our cinema screens way back when in 2009. He was introduced in X-Men: Origins, accompanying Hugh Jackman's, Wolverine. However, Reynolds wants you to forget about that. Well, Reynolds wants you to forget about that but also remind him if he ‘left the stove on', among other questions which he delivers brilliantly with the use of breaking the ‘fourth wall’ throughout the film. 

The movie was born from the ‘leakage’ of studio footage used in tests to see if audiences would appreciate seeing Deadpool come from page to screen. The test videos went viral online and thus, Deadpool was born. To describe Deadpool as a superhero is a push with the term ‘anti-hero’ coming to mind. With straight of the bat humour and awareness of the superhero genre, dealing with typical superhero archetypes such as the ‘The British Villain,' we as the audience are aware straight away that we’re definitely not in Avengers territory. 

This comes as a refreshing palette cleanser to the bitter aftertaste of the onslaught of superhero movies that have consistently churned out millions out of the global box offices which makes one wonder: what next? Deadpool challenges the trend with a consistent and well paced storyline, steady while yet humorous characterisation and a lot of genuine laugh out loud moments. There were many times in the movie where a gag was made that if it weren't delivered by Reynolds, I probably wouldn’t of found it funny. The fact Reynolds waited eleven years to play this role definitely shows through his passion and energy throughout the film. It really is hard to imagine anyone else playing the effervescent Wade Wilson. 

If you enjoy slapstick humour, a solid storyline and the wit of Ryan Reynolds, you’d be a fool to miss this film.

Rating: 9/10.