Arts & Entertainment
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TEST SPIN | Surf Curse — Heaven Surrounds You

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After Current Joys mastermind Nick Rattigan dispersed his ghoulish, fiery-hearted and capitulating solo productions, I was ready to endure whatever storm his indie rock band Surf Curse had been brewing. Thick-boned tracks like “All is Lost” and “Forever Dumb” are unforgettable, and along with the help of Heaven Surround You’s looming singles “Disco” and “Hour of the Wolf,” I was absorbed into the realm of drummer-singer Rattigan and guitarist Jacob Rubeck well before their weathered and tempered album release. Though it invokes fantastical and scenic imagery, Heaven Surrounds You is legendary in its own right through its unique, hardy way of mixing of sounds. Heavenly, folklore-like harmonizing vocals in “Maps to the Stars” collide with long, ringing guitar notes, frantic drumming and spacy chords. A brief orchestral accompaniment sends off the last few guitar strums that mark the strong opening to an album of colossal emotional energy, strength, timing and skill.