Wavvves

Wavves’ second album is the tastiest slice of super-coolness we’ve heard in moons. In fact not since Arthur Fonzarelli last hit the jukebox in Arnold’s a boot up the arse have we witnessed such astonishing slickness. Some records just ooze hipness and Wavvves has that by the bucket-load. Fusing surf guitar with distorted Beach Boys harmonies, the album veers from gorgeous Shangri-Las-like melodies to Sonic Youth-esque razor blade riffing in the blink of an eye.
To his credit, mainman Nathan Williams masterfully steers the good ship Wavves through some hellishly choppy waters (‘To The Dregs,’ ‘Goth Girls’) and comes out the other side boasting sugar sweet delights for all (‘California Goth,’ ‘Beach Demon’). While the skewed Brian Wilson-isms have most recently been a feature of artists such as Animal Collective, Wavves’ punk take is more restrained and as a result much more potent. At times Williams’ slacker chic schtick can get a little over-powering (‘Weed Demon’) but on the whole Wavvves is a daring record full of interesting ebbs and flows that should appeal to the surfer in us all.

Key Track: ‘Gun In The Sun’