SURFER BLOOD

Pythons

[Warner Bros.]

There’s something delightfully ’90s about this Florida quartet’s sophomore album and major label debut, and with producer Gil Norton (Pixies, Counting Crows, Throwing Muses) at the helm, it’s no huge surprise. Pythons is full of punchy guitar hooks and smooth, harmonious vocals, and while it’s poppy, there are some fetching bursts of anger. On opener “Demon Dance,” frontman John Paul Pitts sings about sucking “the venom out of your bones” and later screams about “nosebleed seats.” A couple of the songs are distinctively reminiscent of Pixies, and one example, “Needles and Pins,” features meandering Spanish-style guitar. Another, “Slow Six,” is a powerful pairing of discordant noise and ballad-worthy riffs. Formed less than four years ago, Surfer Blood could have easily struggled to match the grizzled pop prowess of their 2010 debut, Astro Coast, but these songs are even more addictive. Credit Pythons’ throwback riffs—quirky with teeth that truly sink in. –SF