The Beach Boys set the bar for pop sunshine more than 40 years ago, and the genre hasn't changed that much since. Surfer Blood's "Floating Vibes" rounds the usual bases with an upbeat attitude, and the string swells closing the track are a must, but the band manages to infuse all those old sounds with fresh energy.
Lyrically, "Floating Vibes" doesn't delve much deeper than a desire to score a suntan and catch the eye of a cute girl, preferably while winning a surf competition. The youthful yearning of Pet Sounds comes into play, too, though Surfer Blood's guitars recall Weezer more than Brian Wilson. The sunny solos scream surf-rock, but "Floating Vibes" doesn't drown in its influences, staying catchy even without a set of lines repeated ad museum. The booming chords in the opening represent all the hook this song will ever need. Suitable for boom-box listening and sand between your toes, "Floating Vibes" requires only sun-block and a location where a January tan is at least theoretically possible.
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