Shove the space heater aside and bust out the jorts: the boys of Surfer Blood are back with another hard-hitting burst of power pop. Since the release of their sun-tinged debut in 2009, the group has been quiet but diligent, successfully signing with the big wigs at Warner Bros. Records in 2010 and releasing the undervalued Tarot Classics EP the following year. “Demon Dance,” the first single from their forthcoming follow-up Pythons, shows Surfer Blood at their catchiest yet — surely pleasing longtime listeners and the ears of the execs at Warner alike.
“Demon Dance” starts with the sunny strums that enamored Astro Coast, but the remainder of the track exhibits a little less surfer and a lot more blood. While the tambourine and “la-dee-da”s are still very present, they’re surrounded by heavier guitars and some pseudo-screaming from front man JP Pitts. As with the majority of their music, the lyrics depict an imbalance between two parties—perhaps a pair of lovers on the rocks. Yet (as Pitt’s songs frequently do) “Demon Dance” strays from the formal storyline, capturing the concepts of susceptibly and supremacy through an array of abstract divine images. But, if that’s not your cup of tea, the song would play pretty well at your summer barbecue.
Some hipster punks may argue that Surfer Blood “sold out” by signing to Warner, but “Demon Dance” sure as hell proves they aren’t jabronis — no one in the game writes a better power-pop tune. And if “Demon Dance” resembles the rest Pythons, it will surely have been worth the wait.