Straight Arrows Surface World LP
STRAIGHT ARROWS have been at it for a long-ass time. This LP, their fourth, now means the Sydney act has released a record in three different decades, something that’s pretty hard to fathom thinking back to their 2007 debut 7”. That was a record of unsustainably wild garage punk—two songs that elicited the same sense of danger you’d get from the best tracks off a Back From the Grave or Teenage Shutdown comp, the sound of a band burning too hot to last more than a couple of 45s. They’ve kept at it though, polishing their sound and sharpening their songwriting chops over the years, and they’ve put out a handful of excellent tracks in that time, but they’ve also noticeably cooled off a little with each release. Unfortunately, Surface World doesn’t see them bucking that trend. You can’t argue that the eleven songs that make up the record aren’t expertly crafted. They’re in some sense good, but they also never really feel like anything. A slick-as-shit production doesn’t help either—everything sounds super thin and distant, making for moments that can at best theoretically rock. It’s a collection of songs that sound tailor-made to be featured over the speakers at J Crew. Music to shop for sweaters by!