{grate 2} The 30-something indie-sap poppers of Nada Surf couldn’t
have chosen a better title for their newest album Lucky, ’cause frankly,
they’re lucky to even still be releasing anything. But then again, maybe their
cockroach-like ability to survive after the MTVed aftermath of “Popular” back
in ’96 is the fact that they don’t defy cliches. No audacious attempts at
something deep or meaningful in the lyrics. Nothing too funky or experimental
in the instrumentals. No, Nada Surf is just there.

Could there really be something worthwhile about this band
to let them outlive their original 15 minutes of fame? Well, yes and no. Yes,
if you’re a 13-year-old girl finally reaching that time in life when you closet
the boy-band records and moves on to the harder stuff (relatively speaking).
And no, if innovation is your thing.

With Lucky, these well-meaning wimps recycle the
tried-and-true themes of “love conquers all”, “we’re in it together,” “I’m my
own man now,” blah, blah, drowning in a sea of cheddar over here. One would think
that Nada Surf’s lyrics would improve over time. Surely anything is better than
the chorus of “Popular”: “I’m never last picked/ I got a cheerleader chick.” As
it turns out, no, they’re just as retarded as ever. Just look at Lucky’s sixth
track, “Are You Lightning?”: “Are you
lightning?/ ’Cause I’m waiting/ This is frightening/ I’m not playing.” Or better yet, listen to the refrain of “I
Like What You Say”: “You say, I like
what you say/I like what you say/ You say, I like what you say/ I like what you
say.” Well, at least the titles won’t mislead you.

A simple image of the nighttime sky is splayed across the
album cover. One can’t help but imagine
the boys of Nada Surf driving out to the country, looking up into the heavens
and counting their lucky stars.