Nada Surf

On Lucky, Nada Surf has stuck to what they do best. If you are unfamiliar with what that is, it's the most positive indie pop around. This may come as a surprise, given that their label, Northwestern-whiner-haven Barsuk, is home to some of the moodiest singers out there. To name a few: Death Cab for Cutie, John Vanderslice and David Bazan. But with song titles like "Beautiful Beat," Nada Surf actually seems to be enjoying the ride they're on, not fretting over it.

The majority of the album is driven by the beat. The vocals, along with Ira Elliot's drums, shape the sound of the songs, while the guitar is often just a side note. The result is a frenetic pace; each song moves too quickly into the next. "Ice on the Wing," for example, leaves your ear exhausted by the constant drumming. Then, giving you no time to recover, they move right into the next pounding track.

The vocal-drum combination does, however, work perfectly in "Weightless." Matthew Caws' vocals hesitate, letting the beat carry the song and then hurrying to catch up. This creates an interplay between the two as one speeds up and then waits for the other. Each line leaves you nodding your head in anticipation of the next.

Lucky is packed full of guest appearances, including members of Death Cab, Calexico and the Long Winters. But the best songs on the album are the ones on which Nada Surf shine by themselves. If you let it, their positivist pop can actually get you smiling and your toe tapping. Considering the company they keep, that's quite an accomplishment.