Wiped Out (NYC), (mostly) instrumental surf rock, focusing on the rock but also offering moments of melancholy and reflection...the name of the band (and the cover of "Walk Don't Run") telling you where they're coming from, but the title of the album perhaps at least as telling, some numbers sounding like surfing on a sunny day or even waiting for a wave, but even those have something unsettling lurking under the surface, and on many cuts, the unsettling element creeps up from the shadowy depths and surfaces from the dark waters. Just when I thought it was safe to listen to something else, this one grabs with a jaw full of teeth and yanks me back into my love for this shit. Crank this one and ride your stick into spring or summertime...or just kick back and enjoy, drifting into fall. -- winch