Album Review:

Usually, I only review surf issues from the first wave of the genre; however, I made an exception for this release. The Babalooneys' sound is so authentically 60s that- at first - I wasn't sure if I had mistaken this release as a long-lost E.P. circa 1963-64.

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'Wide Track Weekend' is an original Pontiac-themed number with great momentum. The loose sax breaks interwoven into the ultra-surfy guitar make for possibly the best 60s surf track that never was. A cover of the Surf Teens' 'Moment of Truth' from Surf Mania perfectly captures the essence of the original. The first giveaway as to the actual date of this release is the lone vocal number 'Olds Mo Williams,' which borrows some inspiration from the Trashmen's 'Surfin' Bird' and reminds me of the Surfaris' catalog of ill-advised Jim Fuller vocal numbers from Hit City 64 and Hit City 65. Remove the reverb-laden vocals, and you have rock in the vein of the Astronauts' output around 1964-65. Closing out the EP, 'The Lone Surfer' is another excellent masterclass in the original surf sound. Its shimmery sun-drenched guitar work and dynamic rhythm section embodies the...ahem, 'spirit' of the Deadly Ones' original from the seminal album, It's Monster Surfing Time.

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What is most intriguing with Wide-Track Weekend is how accurately the Babalooneys are able to capture the original surf sound - from the mixing and mastering to the intonation and finesse of their playing, it's all here as it would've been in 1964. While many revival surf bands infuse their music with an element of current musical trends (Barracudas, Surfin Lungs, Ghastly Ones, Volcanics to name a few), the Babalooneys are admirably locked in with the original sensibilities that gave the genre its distinction some 60 years ago. 

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Only pressed on 100 copies, this EP is sure to be a collector's item in the future, so I advise you grab it now. My only complaint is the running time and thus, I'm greatly looking forward to an album soon!

CHOICE CUTS:

WIDE-TRACK WEEKEND / THE LONE SURFER / Moment of Truth