Concert; Rock Indie Rock

"Moon Mirror Tour"

Doubt, wonder and hope. These are not the songs of a band in their 20s. This is hard-won wisdom and the equally hard-won belief in possibilities - the belief that comes from falling down and getting up again.

"Give Me The Sun" (I'm looking for something/ I can't say exactly what), "Second Skin" (I'm tired of living in this second skin/ I want to let everything in) and "Moon Mirror" (connect me to something) deal with being present and open, remaining attentive and searching for connection in a world full of simultaneity.

"In Front of Me Now" is a song against multitasking and sleepwalking through our single life. The song asks: "Why wasn't I present? I could have been living" - and shows us a transformation in the chorus: "Today, I do what's in front of me now." I don't know about you, but I need this reminder more than ever.

Nada Surf have been working together for decades and are consistently great, but they never cease to surprise me. That's what makes great art. For almost 30 years, Nada Surf has been part of the soundtrack of my life. Our lives. I fell in love with the band in 2002 with Let Go, followed by "The Weight Is a Gift" in 2005. These songs are deeply anchored in me - in a place from which they can never be removed. Just like the songs from "The Proximity Effect", "Lucky", "The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy" and "Never Not Together", which was my favorite album of 2020. Moon Mirror will fit in seamlessly - on a continuous loop.

Four years ago, during the lockdown, I was listening to Nada Surf one morning. My then seven-year-old son was quiet and then said: "They sing a lot about love."

What he said next has stuck in my head to this day: "She protects you."

Love protects you. If you need convincing, I think "Moon Mirror" will do just that. We're so lucky that Nada Surf's music has been with us all these years - and even luckier that we have these new songs now, just when we need them most.

[text: maggie smith / chatgpt]