Hockey Dad “Blend Inn”

In this cold weather, the last thing you may want is to listen to a group of surf/skate punks from Australia. But resist your bitterness, as Hockey Dad are offering up some shimmering pop rock with elements of surf that is bound to appeal.

Indeed, we’re pretty sure you will be snared by opening song “My Stride”, which is a great pop rocker. But that only just builds you up for the swagger of “Homely Feeling”. They’re pop rock songs with a hint of power pop, but also a touch of grit to stop them feeling too sugary.

Songs like those and “Join The Club” are probably what you would expect from a surf rock band. They are upbeat tracks full of vigour and a sense of fun. Perfect for listening to in glorious sunshine to round off a great day. You might try hard to hate them, but the fact is that these are top quality tracks. In particular “I Wanna Be Everybody” is just crying out to be a huge summer radio hit.

It would be foolish to just write Hockey Dad off as surf bums though, not just because all the songs are damn fine, they also show an ability to adapt their style. Tracks like “Danny” and “Whatever” have a slightly darker tone and a more epic feel to them. They remind us of the band Mona, a band who seemed to promise so much on their debut release but never really made it. We’re perfectly happy with the pop surf rock songs, but for those who need a bit of texture on their albums then these will fit the bill.

There’s not really much room for feeling miserable on this album. The opening lyrics of “Disappoint Me” refer to the first day of spring and indeed tracks like that one and “Where I Came From” bring that positive and fresh feel with them. They combine perfectly with the more rocking alternative sound of “Running Out” and “Stalker”.

As we said earlier, there is a temptation to try and resist the appeal of Hockey Dad. They’re a bit like that too perfect friend with their great attitude and sunshine appeal. But, god damn it, the fact is that they’ve produced a great album. They may literally be thousand of miles away from the current cold spring in the UK, but that shouldn’t stop you warming yourself up with some pop punk. Give it a listen and have a dream about that hot sun and the perfect wave!