Album Review:

Following their Big Surf album, the Sentinals tightened up their sound a bit for Surfer Girl. While the untamed soul is still present throughout, the band's second offering is noticeably tighter than their first.

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'Surf N' Soul' is a fun, brassy number that was also titled 'Pachuko Soul' on various other Del-Fi releases. 'Gremmie Walk' is a brief yet enjoyable little ditty with a chord progression similar to the Beach Boys' 'Shut Down Part II.' The eponymous 'Sentinal' boasts some smooth sax work on top of the regular 50s progression. 'Free and Easy' is a swung filler with twangy chugging guitars to boot. Ironically, the album's best track is probably a cover of the Beach Boys' 'Surfer Girl', which, isn't even performed by the band. Instead the song is an outtake from the Lively Ones, which might explain its noticeably clean sound. Some low twangy double-picking infuse 'The Pipe' with a Dell-Tone sound while 'Surf Stomper' has some groovy guitar work. Both 'Blue Booze' and 'Ooh Poo Pa Doo' begin with the same call and response "woah" intro. The latter of the two is the album's only vocal number. 'Nite Shuffle' swings along and features a 'Hey Little Cobra'-esque hook. 'Sensation' is another groovin' track that acts as a showcase for Tommy Nune's guitar picking skills. 'The Twilighter' is a sweet end to the album.

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The sounds on Surfer Girl are pretty emblematic of the time period, and one would have to look far and wide to find a more suitable album cover.