Murdocks begin
Surrenderender with a lovable brand of infectious highbrow pop, while lead singer Franklin Morris has a certain Bono quality to his vocals. "Saddest Star" is a mid-tempo three-minute gem that Morris occasionally shouts the lyrics to à la
Julian Casablancas. Everything gels here as it's the type of tune you'll repeat if only to treasure this song if the rest of the album isn't up to snuff. "Horsegore" is straight-ahead punk-meets-Detroit garage rock with drummer Ryan Cano and bassist Robert Houghton in perfect synergy. The band seem to deliver each song with a great sense for what makes quality ear candy, even it's on the downtempo but glimmering "Dance the Vomit Shakes," a song
Green Day might attempt to cover during a slower moment in their live set. "Bloody Murder" goes back into high gear but seems to be too forced and too busy, a swirling punk rock number with little fanfare as the vocals sound like they're recorded in a tin can. The group also could be compared to a ragged
Weezer during the crunchy, radio-friendly guitar riffs on "Title Track"; an asset in how it evolves over the course of nearly four minutes, and doesn't try to cram everything in under three- or even two-minutes. The lyrics might be seen as a tribute to A Clockwork Orange with mentions of raping and killing. "Da Da" is another quality tune as the band move into a slightly roots-y jangle pop feel that has the vibe of a
Pete Yorn song, but Morris blows it with his constant wailing at the end. A sleeper pick could be "Death of a French Whore," as the band tone things down but are still rowdy, sounding something like "When It Started" from
the Strokes. The album ends with a 12-minute tune entitled "Easter Moon" with Morris strumming an acoustic guitar on this urban-troubadour kind of number. After four minutes, though, there is a minute gap and a softer, piano-laden hidden bonus track appears. ~ Jason MacNeil