Released:13th December 2019 on vinyl from Pure Lust Productions now also available on CD, Double Crown Records, can also be found on all digital outlets Spotify Apple etc.
Reviewed by: Terry Mead. 21/02/2024.
Buy the album here: https://www.doublecrownrecords.com/baja-bug-the-surf.../
Baja Bug are a four-piece band from Oslo, Norway. They play their own style music, the sound of the band is rooted in traditional instrumental surf rock, but they take the genre in new and interesting directions.
The band are : Bernt Erik Andreassen(Burt Rocket)-Guitar and Keyboards. Espen Paulsen-Guitar and Synthesiser Andreas Moe-Bass Daniel Horn-Drums
The Surf Will Rise Again consists of all of the songs being original compositions and will blow you away with their sound and craftsmanship as well as their professional production. So, let’s review track by track :
Bishop Of Crime - To kick us of we have a daunting Batman style riff which develops into a crescendo of high-pitched guitar work that really sharpens the nerves.
El Mustacho- Some neat guitar reverbs gives it the Jet Harris Besame Mucho sensation and the synth a middle eastern Harlem accompaniment.
Zombies On Surfboards- Great title for a re-vamp of the Hammer Horror movies and this track certainly has an eerie sound to it. The synth recreates the scene of hundreds of zombies on surfboards being wiped out by huge waves made from the guitar sound.
Moose On The Loose- One of those tunes that sounds straight out of the early sixties with traits of The Shadows and Tornados. Haunting moose sounding with guitar picking intro before the synth launches in alongside some superb guitar playing, favourite track so far for me.
The Good Old Bad & Ugly – No it’s not what you think looking at the familiar title but a parallel setting that is somewhat soothing, again some cool guitar work and a drum solo.
Snick Snack- Appropriate title for a very catchy instrumental with some cool licks, backing sounds and a very recognisable verse.
Gunfight In Kreml- A type of Sabre Dance with a touch of Misirlou air about this one with Burt pushing the boundaries on guitar. The tempo slows down midway before hitting back hard.
Surf and Destroy- The sound of surf and drums start us off for the intro on this one which has a distinctive riff running through it. This changes direction later with some neat guitar high notes and ends with a powerful warning from the deep.
Moehawk – As the title suggests an Indian theme plays through the notes with a parody to a Spaghetti Western sound .
Space People- Another early sixties’ instrumental sound for me on this one with some cool guitar playing that stands out, there’s an unusual ending which certainly has you guessing have we reached the limit.
Salamanca- A Spanish city and a World Heritage site, some deep sounds played here especially from the synth with some neat drumming from Daniel that plays constantly to a superb back beat.
Pacific Punch- Exciting blend of Pacific overtones with a punch to this instrumental that has the right ingredients to recreate the Dick Dale surf legacy.
Matador- So here we are on the last track and to finish we have a nice little laid-back tune which replicates a Matador going through this routine Ole’.
So, let’s Summarise: An album of instrumental music is a hard feat to make as the titles often have the theme in the music, this being the case Baja Bug have produced a good selection here that partakes to do just that. Great debut album and heck, it's just a blast to listen to!!
YouTube album: https://youtube.com/playlist..
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