Surf This Rock, If You Want

In terms of specifically instrumental rock, the competition is as slight as the actual genre. The Mag Seven have previously been known for their eclectic mix of instrumental surf, punk, rockabilly and indie rock. Mostly rockabilly but evolving into something more melodic on their debut Use Your Powers for Good, Not Evil, the band start to hit their stride onThe Future is Ours, If You Can Count—but it’s still just not quite there.Featuring contributions by members of Black Flag, Descendents, GWAR, Only Crime, Hagfish, and Armstrong the album has some standout moments but overall lacks spirit. Opener “Suck Bitch”” establishes the surf-rock atmosphere; later track “Strange Wool”” introduces the loose, surf-punk sound. Utilizing elements of both surf rock and punk rock, the more interesting sections of this album come from the masterful production. Standout track “”I Am Locust”” best captures the surfer spirit of the band yet also clearly displays the punk influences the members wanted to incorporate into the newer sound.
ame It’s hard to figure out which contributors are merely guest stars and which plan to keep working with the band, just because the lineup has changed so many times. Use Your Powers for Good, Not Evil shows the band evolving into what could be a killer melodic rock sound, but is just not quite all together. The Mag Seven present something interesting in their gruff, bottom-heavy surf rock. However, as a whole the album just feels like something you won’t catch yourself opting to listen to over other, better choices.