Too soon to start thinking about summer? Premature to pine for perma-patio weather? Not if you’re Gage McGuire and Chris Dimas of Regina’s Surf Dads. Every day is a summer day when this duo gears up and lets the guitar-driven beach rock rip the way they do on Summer Vacation, a four-song EP released in the heady heat of July 2016.
Opener “Found Yourself in Thailand” is a sharply rendered shredder, so potent it should require legalization legislation. The song’s brilliantly observed, cutting lyrics about clichéd spiritual quests that end in personal tragedy clearly signals that Surf Dads have the full package of skills: songwriting, storytelling, and style.
Amidst all the garage rocking gruffness, McGuire and Dimas have a tender side, too. I would love to sit down and hear about the full story behind “Yesterday’s Clothes” (“Take some time to get to know me / I promise that I’m not that bad / Maybe a bit hard to understand”), but maybe I’m better off not knowing. Knowledge would likely break the spell the song spins with its circling guitars and sombre mood; I’d rather let my imagination run where Surd Dads want to take me.
Plan the perfect getaway: add Surf Dads’ Summer Vacation to your itinerary, and let this duo do all the driving.
