Music Notes: Nada Surf - The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy

I have to warn you. Nada Surf are one of those bands that were so dear to me at a point in life, that I would probably listen to any new Nada Surf record on repeat and tell you it's a sweet listen. No matter how groundbreaking or run-of-the-mill it actually is.

So for me, the love is not unrequited on their latest record, The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy. I've been stoked on it for two weeks. But I also recognize that it doesn't deliver on its larger promise. Musically, it's the most amped up the New York trio has sounded since their MTV Buzz Bin days of the 90s. But the persisting theme of reconciling your dreams while approaching middle age is stretched thin and, at times, heavy handed. They nail it with "When I Was Young" but continue to swing at it for the rest of the album, with little variation or color. No matter. This is a record about separating stars from  constellations. While the record is okay as a body of work, it is the handful of stand out tracks like "Looking Through" and "The Future" that give it its shine.

Check out the video for "When I Was Young."