Nada Surf

You Know Who You Are
Nada Surf
Barsuk Records

Indie rock stalwarts Nada Surf are back with a new album of smart, thoughtful, power pop songs, You Know Who You Are. The band's latest release comes 20 years after its first single, the post-grunge anthem “Popular.”

You Know Who You Are is packed with Nada Surf's robust brand of guitar-based alternative rock. The songs possess a mature attitude on life, relationships, growing older, and gaining experience through living. This quality has been developing in their music over the years and it's in full bloom on this album.

Nada Surf is guitarist and vocalist Matthew Caws, drummer Ira Ellliot, bassist Daniel Lorca and lead guitarist Doug Gillard. The band was formed in New York City in 1992 by Caws and Lorca. Elliot, who spent some time in the Fuzztones, joined midway through the decade to record Nada Surf's breakthrough album, 1996's High/Low. Gillard, a former member of Death Of Samantha and Guided By Voices, first played with Nada Surf on their last album, 2012’s The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy. Now he's a full-time member, making You Know Who You Are their first album as a quartet.

Nada Surf doesn’t reinvent the wheel or tinker with their formula and that serves to strengthen You Know Who You Are. The band confidently enriches its music through exquisite musicianship, superb songwriting, and collaboration, including a couple of co-writing contributions from Dan Wilson, ex of Trip Shakespeare and Semisonic. A driving rocker like “New Bird," the horn-punctuated “Out Of The Dark,” and the cerebral “Gold Sounds” are all effortlessly crafted pop songs, replete with messages of companionship, comfort, and the passage of time.

Nada Surf cemented its reputation long ago and with You Know Who You Are, they not only live up to it, but reinforce it.