Album Review: Carefree Theatre by Surfer Blood

With the ten-year anniversary of Surfer Blood's debut, Astro Coast, having just passed, and with principal songwriter John Paul Pitts having moved back to his Florida hometown after a decade of touring with the band, there's a full-circle sense of homecoming and back-to-basics that's apparent on their latest, Carefree Theatre. These are quick and concise, no-frills indie-rock songs flecked with just enough post-surf foam to suggest a deeper connection with the currents of tradition, and free of some of the more experimental structures the band has flirted with in the past — although there's still always room for a playful lead section here and there. Some elements from their past that haven't made the cut, and that continue to be missed here, are the noisier aspects of their debut ("Swim" stands above almost everything they've done since in terms of emotion and urgency, for instance).

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Named for the only venue for live music in the group's hometown when they were growing up, Carefree Theatre -- the fifth full-length album from the Florida indie rock quartet Surfer Blood -- is a well-crafted exercise in sunny indie pop, with clean and fuzzy guitars pairing up for maximum melodic friendliness and contented harmonies keeping the music fresh and warm, served over simple, well-structured rhythms. The band is so good at putting on a happy face that it takes a while to notice that the lyrics on Carefree Theatre aren't especially joyous. The title cut concerns an old friend whose negative qualities have only grown stronger with time, "Parkland Into the Silence" contemplates the emotional fallout of mass shootings, "Summer Trope" tells the tale of an unsuccessful prison break, "Desert Island" is a casual look into the heart of disillusionment, and "Unconditional" shares a snapshot of a relationship that's falling apart.

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