Tides
Sonic Soiree, 2021
8/10
A female fronted outfit from Columbia, South Carolina, The Transonics take pieces of New Wave, psychedelic, surf and pop from the ‘60s to the ‘80s, and run it through a filter of timeless melodies, plenty of hooks and a healthy amount of grooves on this 6 track EP.
The 6 piece start the album with the mysterious and bouncy title track, where the ‘80s nods won’t go unnoticed alongside some psychedelic influences and plenty of atmosphere, and “When You Were Mine” follows with both power and melody entering a pretty yet rugged delivery of hand clapping, firm guitars and acrobatic drumming.
The middle tracks, “Tequila” and “Orange Sunshine”, are both superb, where the former is initially calmer with bouts of busier rock that would be right at home in the ‘70s, while the latter glides with a breezy quality that embraces power pop, too.
Near the end, “Getcha” is a rowdy and lively rocker that sounds like The B-52’s with a gym membership, and “Midnight” exits the listen balancing gentle moments with fuller swells of precise, playful retro rock.
If you were around anytime from the ‘60s through the ‘80s, Tides will no doubt be a nostalgic listen that might make you dig out your Heart and Blondie records. And if you weren’t, well, you’ll get a really good sense of what you missed out on when spending any time with The Transonics and their ‘Surfedelic power pop’ formula.
Travels well with: Oberon Rose- Holographic Blues; Pale Mara- Pale Mara