Nude Beach's self-titled LP provides a fun and enjoyable half-hour slab of power-pop and surf-touched punk to the tune of the kinetic energy and nostalgic setups of predecessors like the Exploding Hearts and Carbonas.

"No Change" busts the album out of its rusted gates with a lower-fi kick and raggedly sung vocals with riffy guitars and tambourine-laced percussion. The vibe is, "simply," a corrosively fun and uplifting one. "Boss Song" keeps the tempo up and running, though it's a little same-y. More Americana tones open the aptly titled "Ridin' Easy", and it's an early refresher to mix things up at least somewhat. "Burnin'" adds a tinge of country twang and reverb in the vocals to do the same, with jangly guitar melodies taking it out to a nice effect.

Over on the B side, "Writhing in the Rain" kicks it off with a couple of raspy, rambled vocal lines that almost remind me of Elvis Costello in strange, quavery ways. They push it into "Beach Head" well, while "Hit by a Hurricane" is pulled back, played with a head-bobbing restraint and twinklier guitars. "The Mountain or the Moon" closes the record, and it's the longest song here–the vox are slurrier and the mood is a pinch more psychedelic.

Nude Beach may not blow one away, but it's a convincing display of power-pop-punk prowess and classic-era flourishes.

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Nude Beach

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No Change
Ridin' Easy
Beach Head