Summer is mostly gone, but the season never ends in the impossibly optimistic, ne’er-say-die "surf rock" that can be found on our scorched and shore-less environs. And you can’t find a better example of said genre than Wave, the brand-new, tanning-oil-shiny release from La Vega, the off-shoot for Wild Child‘s Evan Magers and Manateam‘s Daniel Vega. But tighten up that drawstring and lock your toes into your flip flops before proceeding; despite the "side project" roots, this is one wipe-out-inducing bomb.
Spot-on, sand-encrusted production grunge on brilliant poppish, fire-side-possible numbers; pulled along with 60-ish reverb, beachy choruses, acoustic strumming, and pushed down drum kits. Check out the surf with "Do The Surfer Girl Limbo!", "Love Ya Self", and "Where You Normally Go". Watch them channel "Wipe Out" with "Shade", Nick Lowe with "Slow Down", and The Everly Brothers with "Exit Tax" and "Jackie". Then go all Alt Rock with "Key West" and "Minor Nightmares".
Classify this as one set of far out gnarly numbers, Walter Styled and clean. Magers and Vega have been going off on this collection, and releasing such a sick nug is enough to turn this tubular side project into an epic headliner. –Written by Scott Osborn