A 'Gift' greater than popularity

With ex-Cars front-man and Weezer-producing Ric Ocasek on board for Nada Surf's 1995 debut High/Low, the band first hit airwaves with "Popular." As the song's popularity died, though, so did Nada Surf's fame. Reviewers dismissed them as nothing more than one-hit wonders and cheap Weezer rip-offs. Major label Elektra dropped the band and their follow-up album, The Proximity Effect, remains an import in the States. Nada Surf survived only by playing for the French. Need I say more?\nYes, I do. After persevering through a monotonous existence of performing "Popular" over and over again for eight years (for the French, mind you), Nada Surf released their third album, Let Go, in 2003. The album showed the trio finally hitting their stride. Let Go's new, smoother sound made the first two albums sound like they had been released in demo form. If High/Low heard Nada Surf during its rawer period, Let Go presented their evolution to smooth pop much like that of Coldplay, Pete Yorn and Death Cab for Cutie.\nIn fact, Death Cab guitarist Chris Walla helped produce Nada Surf's latest effort, The Weight is a Gift, and the album complements this recent influx of cathartic indie. Musically, it's a retread of the introspective power-pop sound discovered with Let Go, though with the more cohesive theme of long-awaited redemption. The opening track, "Concrete Bed," sets the tone for the next ten and uses catchy, upbeat Nada Surf-stylized metaphors for life such as "to find someone you love / you gotta be someone you love." The theme of release from setbacks, both personally and professionally, is prevalent throughout The Weight as lead singer Matthew Caws' lofting voice croons about love at its most trite, sentimentalized emotion at its simplest and being able to revel in the afterglow.\nJust as Let Go, a four-star album in my book, was never as popular as its contemporaries, The Weight, released by independent label Barsuk, promises to be committed to the same underrated fate. Outshined by high-profile albums such as Coldplay's X&Y and Death Cab's Plans, Nada Surf simply may not have the name to carry them. Judging from how far they've come since one-hit wonder infamy, they should be content to wear shades and enjoy some sun while it lasts.