Daily Dose: Surf Rock Is Dead, “Our Time”

Daily Dose is your daily source for the song you absolutely, positively need to hear every day. Curated by the Paste Music Team.

Surf Rock Is Dead have been, uh, alive for quite some time now, sharing stages throughout Brooklyn and beyond with loads of buzzy indie acts and local favorites for years, and becoming one of New York’s go-to openers for touring bands coming through the Big Apple. And while the duo have been releasing a steady stream of the kind of stuff that likely would have landed them a Captured Tracks record deal alongside similar shoegaze-y dream-pop outfits like DIIV or Wild Nothing had they been around in the earlier part of this decade, they’ve yet to release their debut LP, opting instead for a bunch of one-off singles and EPs over the past five years.

But after half a decade of waiting, all of that changes now: Surf Rock Is Dead are finally announcing their first full-length release, set for spring 2020. The news is accompanied by rousing surf rock-adjacent single “Our Time,” our second taste of the still-untitled project, following last year’s “Away Message.” While the new track doesn’t stray too far from even their earliest singles from years ago, it showcases the band’s singular vision, attention to detail and drastically improved production work. Kevin Pariso takes lead vocals here—though Pariso and bandmate Joel Witenberg typically alternate depending on the song—culminating in a soaring chorus that’s sure to impress live. “Our time is the night time / Waiting for no one,” he croons over swelling guitars.

“The song just spilled out after some catchy guitar noodling turned into what would become the verse bits,” the band writes. “Lyrically, ‘Our Time’ is about the uncertain feeling of chasing after a passion, and the nighttime being the only liberating time to do so.”

And while, despite their name, they do write surf rock—though they hew much more closely to the Day Wave or jammier side of Beach Fossils than, say, a band like Girls or The Beach Boys—their lyrics are miles away from the carefree vibes of some sunny beach in California. The Brooklyn band note that their new album was written about the sudden passing of a close friend and the breakdown of two turbulent relationships. “It’s about facing death head on while standing in the corner of a party wondering what the point of being at the party at all is,” they write.

Exciting news from the longtime New York local favorites. Though we still don’t have a definitive release date for the self-released debut, check out the band’s upcoming tour dates and listen to “Our Time” below.

Surf Rock Is Dead Tour Dates:

November
04 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Union Stage &
09 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Warsaw &
16 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Music Hall of Williamsburg $

(& – with Pete Yorn)
($ – co-headline with No Vacation)