Customer Reviews

High-Low

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

...are the times when i can't talk"

I firmly believe that Nada Surf's debut album is one of the best rock albums of all time. I bought this album cos I'd heard "Popular" on MTV2 a few times, and thought I might throw it on a few compilation tapes - what I didn't expect was that the rest of the album would be so good, and so unlike Popular! Each song on here is unique and brilliant in it's own right. The lyrics are written from a detached outsiders point of view, but often stuffed with spite and hatred. While some reviews on here rather unfairly compare the band to Weezer, I'd say that "The Get Up Kids" are a better comparison. Weezer have never sounded this vicious, and that Nada Surf do it with only 3 members makes it even better. The song writing and guitar playing are particularly self assured, with time changes and other experimental traits pushed to the forefront - for example, one song uses distorted vs undistorted guitar to create a riff out of one note. Genius.
Also, like all good albums it gets better with each listen, and I should know, as I've been listening to it at least once a day for about a month now. Maybe I'm biased, maybe I'm hypnotized, maybe I need to get out more, but this album shines like an undiscovered and unpolished gem from one of American music's worst years of recent times. Try it and see.
Sadly the band have been going down hill since this peak, with neither "Proximity Effect", nor "Let Go" recapturing the angst and the anger vented on this disc.

I quickly wrote these guys off in 1996 as a bad weezer-rip off band, they even went out of their way to get Ric Ocasik (weezer's producer for "Blue") to produce "High/Low"

I bought the CD because radio in my town was spinning "Popular" and "Deeper Well" quite a bit and it made for good summer day road trip music.

now, looking back on the album, having heard and fallen in love with their new release "Let Go" and their 2000 UK release "The Proximity Effect", this album sounds like nothing more than a batch of quickly written songs in badly produced demo form.

it's ceratinly the last CD you should buy if you're checking the band out for the first time, I find backtracking worked the best

buy "Let Go" (their 2003 release), then "Proximity Effect" (2000 UK release, 2003 US release), and then "High/Low"

Matt's writing has matured greatly over time and the new record is a highly established work of art.

"high/low" is not

I saw Nada Surf last night (but only a few songs. Ozma opened for them and that's what I was there for, and if anyone is looking at this page, buy this CD and then go buy Ozma CDs) and they were a lot better than I expected. High/Low is really great, although as others have said, slightly "hollow". The Proximity Effect is also really good, and I hear they're rereleasing it on Barsuk, which is a good idea. Let Go, though, is far from being a masterpiece. Anyway, this isn't a review of let go.
You've heard Popular, and you know that it rules. If you enjoy listening to the chorus, then you'll enjoy listening to the rest of this. All of the songs are good, and they're great at writing a good melody, but there's nothing special about this. I haven't listened to this in a long time because when I feel like something like this, I listen to Ozma. It's still worth it to have this and be familiar with it, but I just can't imagine anyone LOVING it.

Long ago Nada Surf insisted on releasing tiresome post grunge rubbish until they realised that they could write decent songs.
This album is a good example of what Nada Surf were like before they metamorphosised into a brilliant power-pop band with the stunning album 'Let Go'.
Although the musicianship on High/Low is of a high standard, the songs are all fairly bad especially the dreadful 'Popular' which was Nada Surf's attempt to get noticed by MTV.

I am so happy that the first that I heard of Nada Surf was the album 'Let Go' because if I had heard this album first,I would have very quickly decided that Nada Surf were not my cup of tea and I wouldn't have listened to them any further.

Do yourself a favour and buy the masterpiece 'Let Go' instead and consign this piece of embarrasing history to the bargain bin where it deserves to be.

In a time when music is defined by 10 bands who all seem to share the same vocalist, it's good to take a step back about 8 years to a time when bands like Superdrag and Nada Surf were spitting out a few hits. Though the only band that has had a shelf life of more than a few years is Weezer, Nada Surf gives them a run for their money with High/Low. If you like "Regretfully Yours" by Superdrag or "The Blue Album" by Weezer then High/Low is the album for you. With catchy melodies surpassed only by the ripping guitar tones and the wonderful lyrics, High/Low makes for a great listen from start to finish. After recently getting this CD I am shocked that Nada Surf's only hit was the gimmicky "Popular" -- there are definitely 2 or more hits on this CD.

If you like Superdrag, Weezer, or the Pixies, then get this CD. Also, try and get a copy of "Where is my mind: A tribute to the Pixies", Nada Surf does the titles track, and damn, they do it good.

This album is a fun listen, the songs are quite entertaining. Stalemate is one of my favourites, but they are all quite good songs, if a bit hollow. By this I mean that it doesn't take headphones or a 34th listen to find out what the 'true' sound or meaning of this album is. The melodramatic way that the narrator in 'popular' delivers his one-month limit to going steady is kind of ridiculous, but worth a good laugh. Not a bad purchase if you find it cheap.

I love this album. Simple as that. From start to finish it is amazing, i have to repeat just about every single song they blow my mind. Geek Rock rules, Amazing lyrics, just an amazing CD. yes i bought it for 'Popular' and i was rewarded. I, like a fool, lent it to my best friend and she won't give it back she likes it that much too! Buy it you won't be dissapointed

A gem of a find if You take the chance to listen to it. This cd is very underated, and I dont know what to call it, it has a Emo Indie feel to it. Anyways the best songs on the album are,"Zen brain", "Stalemate","Treehouse", "Sleep", and the radio friendly "Popular".

High/low is a master piece made by Nada Surf. If the the perfect melody won't take you then maybe the unbelievable lyrics will. This whole album is full with musical magic that will grab your intention and emotions. When I first heard this i was brought back to the world of music after a long journy in the desert without a drop of music to satisfy my soul. I know that as long as Nada Surf will keep on doing what they know best I'll keep on listening.

The only thing that I had to complain about with this album was that it ended. :)