Endorphins By Surf Friends
Flying Nun
8 / 10
11th December 2013
By Paul Larsen
Auckland based Surf Friends, Brad Coley and Pete Westmoreland may have been somewhat economical in the naming of their band but their sophomoric record, Endorphins continues to prove they're anything but frugal when it comes to the task at hand. A stack of drum machines, keyboards and looped samples went into the creation ofEndorphins and the result is greatly more than a sum of its parts.
That's not to say they didn't have some help along the way. The Clean's David Kilgour dons an effects laden guitar and contributes vocals for the strung out psychedelia of stand out track 'Mexico' and the album was even produced by Nick Roughan of seminal post punk Kiwi band, The Skeptics. Accordingly, a robust indie and post punk feel pervades throughout the record with just the occasional two-part harmony and lyrical yearnings for the sun hinting at the band's bleached blonde surf roots.
From the intoxicating new wave mysticism of ‘Clean Deers’ to the drawn out guitar-pop of closer, ‘Yourself’, Endorphins is a record that both surprises and delights throughout. Just as appropriate at the beach as a basement club, this is a genuinely three dimensional record not to be overlooked this summer.
Read more: http://www.undertheradar.co.nz/review/925/Endorphins.utr#ixzz3gJAXqEfT
surf friends - pitchfork media
album review
It's difficult to discuss New Zealand indie rock without mentioning the Clean. From the time of their debut single, "Tally Ho!", in 1981, the trio has since been cited as a massive inspiration to everyone from indie rock's Old Guard (Pavement, Yo La Tengo) to some of today's most exciting underground bands (Times New Viking, Crystal Stilts, the late Jay Reatard). With the Clean's reputation seemingly at an all-time high, one has to wonder how mighty a shadow the band has cast over its native land. With their debut record, Confusion, Surf Friends-- a young duo from Auckland-- attempt to wriggle their way out from under the Clean's heavy influence.
On parts of the record, it proves to be a struggle. Throughout the band swipes moves from the playbook of their forebears-- a few jangly guitars here, a few Farfisa organs there. A song like "Human" carries all of the hallmarks of a Clean tune, aside from unspectacular vocals being pushed high in the mix. Surf Friends' love for the band doesn't always serve as an albatross, however; the driving, catchy, and sun-drenched "Late Night" and "Enjoy the Show" are picture-perfect homages to the auspicious first decade of the the Clean, while "You're on My Mind" is an earworm that captures their off-the-cuff brilliance. "I Tried" adds something new to the template, starting out with a chiming guitar figure and building the entire song over a blissfully woozy undercurrent, even at one point sampling a percussive, synthesized horn blast eerily reminiscent of the opening to Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison".
When the band is making a clear effort to stand apart from the Flying Nun label, it proves to be a mixed bag. The intro of "No Oil" finds them restlessly experimenting with ambient loops before locking into a sulking, bass-driven groove and then devolving into meandering aimlessness. On the other hand, closing out with the album's title track, they focus on droning, blurry guitars and a bubbling, hypnotic bassline while providing many exploratory detours and even a couple of sharp tempo changes throughout the song's 10 minutes. While the template they've set for themselves can prove to be rigid at points, Confusion is a record that proves Surf Friends are capable of expanding upon it and even abandoning it completely. But in order for them to truly set their own path, they'll have to learn to do such a thing a little more often.
— Martin Douglas, November 17, 2010
album review
It's difficult to discuss New Zealand indie rock without mentioning the Clean. From the time of their debut single, "Tally Ho!", in 1981, the trio has since been cited as a massive inspiration to everyone from indie rock's Old Guard (Pavement, Yo La Tengo) to some of today's most exciting underground bands (Times New Viking, Crystal Stilts, the late Jay Reatard). With the Clean's reputation seemingly at an all-time high, one has to wonder how mighty a shadow the band has cast over its native land. With their debut record, Confusion, Surf Friends-- a young duo from Auckland-- attempt to wriggle their way out from under the Clean's heavy influence.
On parts of the record, it proves to be a struggle. Throughout the band swipes moves from the playbook of their forebears-- a few jangly guitars here, a few Farfisa organs there. A song like "Human" carries all of the hallmarks of a Clean tune, aside from unspectacular vocals being pushed high in the mix. Surf Friends' love for the band doesn't always serve as an albatross, however; the driving, catchy, and sun-drenched "Late Night" and "Enjoy the Show" are picture-perfect homages to the auspicious first decade of the the Clean, while "You're on My Mind" is an earworm that captures their off-the-cuff brilliance. "I Tried" adds something new to the template, starting out with a chiming guitar figure and building the entire song over a blissfully woozy undercurrent, even at one point sampling a percussive, synthesized horn blast eerily reminiscent of the opening to Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison".
When the band is making a clear effort to stand apart from the Flying Nun label, it proves to be a mixed bag. The intro of "No Oil" finds them restlessly experimenting with ambient loops before locking into a sulking, bass-driven groove and then devolving into meandering aimlessness. On the other hand, closing out with the album's title track, they focus on droning, blurry guitars and a bubbling, hypnotic bassline while providing many exploratory detours and even a couple of sharp tempo changes throughout the song's 10 minutes. While the template they've set for themselves can prove to be rigid at points, Confusion is a record that proves Surf Friends are capable of expanding upon it and even abandoning it completely. But in order for them to truly set their own path, they'll have to learn to do such a thing a little more often.
— Martin Douglas, November 17, 2010
elsewhere.co.nz - graham reid
Surf Friends: Confusion (SF)Click for a Readable/print-friendly version)Surf Friends: No Oil
Auckland two-piece Surf Friends -- guitarist/singer/drum machine handler etc and bassist/keyboards/singer Pete Westmoreland -- are starting out in almost exactly the same place as the early Clean and Chills whose sound they effectively hijack completely for some tracks on this interesting . . . and eventually quite convincing album.
Produced by Mark Howden -- who keeps things effectively straight-forward to capture their energy -- the album kicks in with Goals ("How I want to achieve my goals") and if one of them was an album that first recalled early Flying Nun but eventually left an original taste, then they've succeeded.
It is in the material that isn't Clean-reference (on Late Night and especially You're On My Mind with a Tally Ho! keyboard part you could be fooled) where they really score: the 10 minute title track at the end notably.
They get out on the periphery with No Oil, an edgy moan over a drone which sounds like experimental outfits like Chrome and Suicide -- alternately they have a barely-there, plaintive "ballad" Rask which is like an antipodean Velvet Underground/genial Lou Reed. And even though Humans is a Clean piece of pop, it has its own charm. Enjoy the Show sounds like David Kilgour sitting in with Flying Lizards.
Certainly there is too much here which follows well-trodden paths, but there is also more than enough hints and suggestions of various possible directions that you may conclude these two - in some form or other -- are going to be worth watching.
Added: 21 Nov 2010
for more
:http://www.muzic.net.nz/articles/reviews/45095/surf-friends-confusion-album-review
http://neonmusicalinsight.com/freshtracks/2010/12/20/fresh-track-surf-friends-are-you-there/
http://www.nzmusician.co.nz/index.php/ps_pagename/album/pi_albumid/1466
http://musichype.com/surf-friends-instore-gig-at-lucky-in-hunterville/
https://finestkiss.wordpress.com/tag/surf-friends/