Snowdonia

To say Surfer Blood had a difficult time after the release of 1000 Palms would be an understatement: Not long after bassist Kevin Williams left group, guitarist Thomas Fekete died from the rare, aggressive form of cancer he'd been battling since 2015. On top of that, John Paul Pitts' mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Snowdonia finds the band rebuilding in the wake of all this upheaval. The album opens with a batch of songs that look to the band's past strengths: "Matter of Time" is the kind of bouncy pop song that Surfer Blood has excelled at since Astro Coast, while the backing harmonies on "Frozen" and the sprightly guitars on "Dino Jay" respectively make the most of new bassist/vocalist Lindsey Mills and guitarist Mike McCleary's skills. But just when it seems like Surfer Blood's plan is to ride out the hard times by sticking with the familiar, Snowdonia reveals itself as some of their most ambitious and unpredictable music. "Six Flags in F or G" is particularly impressive as it teeters between ominous and poignant without ever losing its balance. ~ Heather Phares