Let Go

Nada Surf | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 4, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Barsuk
• ASIN: B000089CKH
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,793 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #88 in Music > Indie Music > Alternative Rock > Rock

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Hiddden Gem August 7, 2003

By Paul J. Mazzoni

Format:Audio CD

Let's face it...if you mention Nada Surf to someone, they are either going to bring up the song "Popular" or say "Nada who?" But you won't find a more consistently good pop album by a group with "Nada" in the name...or any group for that matter. This band is definitely evolving in the right direction. The vocals on several songs are very reminiscent of Semisonic's Dan Wilson and several songs like "Hi-Speed Soul" and the rocking "The Way You Wear Your Head" sound like they could easily fit on an early Semisonic album. But what separates Nada Surf are great songs like "Blizzard of '77" and "Inside of Love." And unlike most bands, Nada Surf saves one of the best for last with "Treading Water", which shifts from straight rock to more introspective, melancholy pop. There are quite a number of ballads on the album that deserve close attention. But the group mixes them up with the more upbeat stuff so that there is never a dull moment. A fine effort that is not to be missed.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Highlight of the resurging Indie scene (4 STARS) May 7, 2003

By JWK

Format:Audio CD

2001 and 2002 partly gave it's life to the then "Up-and coming" nu-metal genre, while the latter half of 2002 was reserved for the NY-sludge-garage-punk of the White Stripes and the Strokes. 2003 now has seen it's share of bands put out stripped-down Indie outings, like Wilco's "Foxtrot," Stephen Malkmus's "Pig Lib" and even the Jayhawks new "Rainy Day Music." But who is to trust in this resurfacing scene? Should we stay with the more pompous, arrogance of the Vines? Or get sucked into the uneducated political whining of Coldplay? Perhaps this CD will save your musical life....

Nada Surf's "Let Go" cannot be defined (without arguement) in a single genre. It's pop-rock, indie-rock, NY Underground, etc. But one thing is sure... It's good. Really really good. Nada surf shake off it's one-time buzz bin MTV wonder award to join the rest of us on earth and release an album with heart, soul, and unavoidable catchiness. "Blizzard of '77" and "Inside of Love" have enough acoustic charm to blow Ben Harper away, while "Hi-Speed Soul," "Happy Kid" and "The Way You Wear Your Head" are poppy, indie rockers. Nada Surf even tip their hat to former folky great Bob Dylan on "Blonde on Blonde." "Let Go" takes the listener to blistering hights of food storage, bilingual splendor, to a run-in with a pair of LDS missionaries (and the meaning of life), and almost shapes up to be a classic in the meantime. A fantastic album.

Overall: 8 out of 10.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not groundbreaking, but stellar anyway March 20, 2003

By commontone

Format:Audio CD

Before buying this album I had only heard "Popular," so I was surprised when I started seeing glowing reviews of Nada Surf's latest album all over the place. I was even more (pleasantly) surprised when I heard the album--it's one of those rare ones where every single track hits the sweet spot in one way or another.

The one complaint I have is that the album lacks obvious originality--on Let Go, Nada Surf sometimes sound like "Bends"-era Radiohead, or Elliott Smith or New Order or Coldplay. It may not bring much new to the table, but so what? How dare they operate in existing genres! It's done so well, so confidently, and the songwriting is so strong that this complaint seems superfluous. Nada Surf don't hijack their influences, they suggest them with reverence.

While the production tends to suggest other bands, there is definitely some good craftmanship here, subtle dissonances and restrained ambience. Matthew Caws is a strong singer and the band has good chemistry, which the production is careful to preserve (esp. evident on "Neither Heaven Nor Space," "Happy Kid"). The ballads move at a perfectly hypnotic pace.

The album's biggest strength is its melodies. Every song has a satisfying, catchy melody, and the ballads are simply beautiful ("Killian's Red," "Paper Boats" in particular). Lyrically, Nada Surf are simple but in a subtle and intelligent way, introspective without being mopey. Some people might be quick to complain about lyrics like "I wanna know what it's like/On the inside of love" but Nada Surf pull it off easily. On that song ("Inside Of Love") they display a reverence for pop, in particular the way a great pop song can make potentially hammy lyrics seem deeper than they should. Most of the lyrics on Let Go aren't that obvious. They reveal new layers with repeated listening, just the right amount of depth.

Overall the album is simply satisfying in a way few pop records are, gently catchy, melancholy but spry, perfect (as others have said) for a rainy day. If you're too cool for pop, you'll probably hate Let Go. Everyone else will hear an album full of songs that stand up to the very best of their genre. Forget about "Popular," people! To hold a grudge over that song would be a big mistake--Nada Surf deserve to be regarded as a serious indie band.