“Never Not Together” by Nada Surf is nine songs and runs 42 minutes long.
This is Nada Surf’s ninth studio album. The four-person alternative band formed in 1990.
“Never Not Together” is a little too chill to be your typical alternative hard-rock but a little too rock-n-roll to be your vibey alternative album. Overall, “Never Not Together” could easily be the boppin’ soundtrack to your favorite 2000s romantic comedy.
The album focuses on the notion of love – requited, unrequited, lost and everything in between.
The smooth voice of Matthew Caws calls listeners to think of their relationships. He also calls on listeners to consider their habits in all types of relationships: friends, family and romantic.
While this might sound like it has great potential to be a bummer of an album, it is quite the opposite. Yes, some songs featured on “Never Not Together” discuss the notion of love lost or a relationship gone wrong. However, overall the album sends a message of hope and, well… love.
Nada Surf seems to encourage their listeners to go out and find love through “Never Not Together.” In all but one or two songs on the album, Caws and his band mates seems to be trying to spread good, happy vibes through their music.
While this transpires through lyrics such as “live and learn and forget” and “so much love in the air/so much love, it’s always there,” this message of hope and light-heartedness also comes across through the pure musicality of “Never Not Together.”
This album features an alternative-rock style guitar, but it has a softer, muted tone to it. The guitar is consistently bright and consistently there throughout “Never Not Together” to keep both the mood and the tempo up.
This is complemented by the driving drumbeats mixed into every track. The mix of hi-hats, the tom and the kick drum create a commanding presence, but it does not overpower any instrument. Backing the drum in providing a solid basis for all songs, the bass lines throughout “Never Not Together” echo the guitar. This creates a complicated and complete sound from Nada Surf.
This mix of instruments and tones also allow Caws’ somewhat raspy vocals to still remain front-and-center throughout the album.
Of course, as any album about love has the potential to do, “Never Not Together” draws feelings to the surface of the listener. There are a few slower, deeper and angsty tracks on the album. But overall, the album lifts the listener up; it does not bring them down. The bright, 2000s rom-com-reminiscent sound of “Never Not Together” creates a pretty easy and enjoyable listening experience.
Rating: 7.7/10
Rad Tracks: “So Much Love” “Live Learn and Forget” “Something I Should Do”
“Never Not Together” is available for streaming on Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music!
