With its debut album Tropsicle, indie pop band the Mermaids hopes to remind America why surf rock was such a big deal. The Atlanta-based band may give off a distinct indie darling vibe–with combined coverage from local and national press (the New York Times recently gave the band a gently positive mention), the Mermaids may find themselves in the mainstream before too long. But the avalanche of accolades comes with good reason. If Tropsicle is a sign of what’s to come from Mermaids, garage rock fans have something to be excited about.
Comparisons of Mermaids to the Beach Boys are a go-to for most publications, but it’s because the similarities are too impressive to ignore. For fans of ‘60s-era rock, that’s a compliment of the highest caliber. Tight harmonies add flavor to the vocals of singer Matt McCalvin, whose voice is reminiscent of MGMT singer Andrew VanWyngarden’s. McCalvin’s vocals remain loose and melodic throughout the album, and are key in establishing the album’s overall feel.
It’s literally impossible to feel stressed while listening to Tropsicle, a quality attributed entirely to McCalvin’s performance.
The songwriting is another high point—the lyrics are fun, fresh and funny, like on “Vacation”: “We threw the captain over, and on the crew we emptied a clip.”
Mermaids does an admirable job with instrumentation, with a heavy focus on keys and guitar. Both the rhythm and lead guitar parts are strong, and fit the band’s decisively mellow attitude perfectly.
A distracting problem, however, lies in the album’s production. More often than not, distinguishing specific melodies or instruments from others is difficult. The overall sound of the album is a little bit washed out.
It isn’t uncommon to see indie bands working for a lo-fi sound, but in this case, it was done at the expense of some very good bass and key parts. It’s a minor complaint for a generally strong album, but it’s still a notable misstep.
Despite issues with the album’s mixing, the Mermaids have captured the essence of early surf rock, and executed that idea with exceptional precision. It’s a promising start.
