Named for the only venue for live music in the group's hometown when they were growing up,
Carefree Theatre -- the fifth full-length album from the Florida indie rock quartet
Surfer Blood -- is a well-crafted exercise in sunny indie pop, with clean and fuzzy guitars pairing up for maximum melodic friendliness and contented harmonies keeping the music fresh and warm, served over simple, well-structured rhythms. The band is so good at putting on a happy face that it takes a while to notice that the lyrics on
Carefree Theatre aren't especially joyous. The title cut concerns an old friend whose negative qualities have only grown stronger with time, "Parkland Into the Silence" contemplates the emotional fallout of mass shootings, "Summer Trope" tells the tale of an unsuccessful prison break, "Desert Island" is a casual look into the heart of disillusionment, and "Unconditional" shares a snapshot of a relationship that's falling apart.
Carefree Theatre is a musical Trojan horse that ingratiates itself with the charm of the music only to transform into a killjoy once you start listening closely.
Surfer Blood work this push and pull with aplomb, and play the duality so well that even when you know these songs are downers, you can't help but tap your foot and hum along. Come for the melodies, stay for the angst --
Carefree Theatre delivers both with smarts and style.