Nada Surf: The Weight Is A Gift
Rating: 
I can’t even begin to describe how disappointed I am today and have been for the last week. I absolutely loved Nada Surf’s last album, Let Go. I dug the two albums before that, their debut EP, and the track they contributed to The Future Soundtrack for America. It seemed to me that they were constantly improving, so I assumed The Weight Is A Gift would accordingly kick ass. It doesn’t kick ass. The lyrics (which have always been a weak point) border on terrible, and the music doesn’t always pick up the slack as it has in the past because the songs aren’t quite as catchy as previous efforts. That doesn’t mean I don’t like it, because I do. I think it’s better than a lot of the music released each week; it’s just not up to par for a new Nada Surf release. On an unrelated note, the cover art reminds me of that stupid sitcom “Caroline In the City.”
1. Concrete Bed 2. Do It Again 3. Always Love 4. What Is Your Secret? 5. Your Legs Grown 6. All Is A Game 7. Blankest Year 8. Comes A Time 9. In The Mirror 10. Armies Walk 11. Imaginary FriendsBuy album
– Kevin
May 16th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
“Concrete Bed” is the only song on here that I actually listen to much on iTunes, and even that one gets kind of annoying by the end because of the repetition of the chorus. Yeah, I know choruses (?) are supposed to be repeated, but for some reason this feels a little self-help-y after you hear it over and over again…
“Before you find someone you love / You gotta be someone you love.”
I should probably give the whole thing another spin though, to see if my views have changed.
May 16th, 2006 at 3:07 pm
This album has turned into a grower for me, as I find myself enjoying it more every time I hear it. I also have managed to start looking (or hearing, as it were) past the lyrics to the melodies and whatnot, and am pleased with what I find. And not that it matters much in the evaluation of the album, but “Blankest Year” is absolutely awesome in concert, with every body in the audience singing along to the lyrics “Aw, fuck it (fuck iiiit) / I’m going to have a party.” It’s no Let Go, but it’s pretty good.
October 5th, 2006 at 10:29 pm
[…] Like Kevin, I was really disappointed in Nada Surf’s latest album, The Weight is a Gift. Because, yeah, Let Go is basically my favorite. And then the go and follow it up with, well, the most embarrassingly uninspired, awkward lyrics ever. […]