Between the record scratches complementing breezy pop-rock instrumentation and its video’s bright imagery rife with nods to turn-of-the-millennium fashion and aesthetics, the new single from NO WIN inherently asks a question echoed by its chorus’ lyrics: “Why is it so hard to live in these modern times?” With “Surfing” arriving ahead of the group’s new album Dodger Stadium, its sunny, optimistic sounds and frontman Danny Nogueiras’ prodding lyrics lay the foundation for a record that posits a revisionist history of radio alt-rock that doesn’t lead to the genre’s Nickelbackification.
Speaking to the aforementioned timeless query the single mulls over—that of always feeling like we’re born in the wrong decade—the video’s director Ryan Baxley shares: “It got us talking about how it feels like a very current question, but it’s also a question that’s been endlessly asked. Brian Wilson sang about the same thing with The Beach Boys almost 60 years ago, you know? So our idea was to shoot Danny in a variety of settings, including one which had multiple fabricated versions of him. It represents an evolution that culminates in the modern version of himself, still asking the same question.”
Dodger Stadium drops August 19 via Dangerbird Records. Check out the video below.
