Crushed Out are a husband/wife surf rock band who began their musical journey in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Their music is dream-like, playful and reminiscent of the ocean. Their album Alien Ocean was incredibly marvelous. “Out of the Blue” the title track, is not your typical surf rock song. It’s a bit dark, but with the change in tempos and the melodic harmonious voices of their voices entwined with the turbulent guitar riffs; it creates an oceanic masterpiece that even Ursula would love. “Ride the Tide” is a blend of 1950’s doo wop-like vocals with the classic surf rock guitar riff. The song could have been better though, but it definitely gets some points for creativity. “Rolling in the Moonshine” was the second best track on the album. The voices harmonized beautifully on this track and it definitely sounded like it came straight out of the 90s. “She is Gone Again” was the best track on the album. It seemed to have been inspired by the movie Alice in Wonderland. The lead vocals don’t drown out the background vocals and the bass line is simply infectious while the percussion is hypnotic. Alien Ocean is a very versatile/multi-dimensional album that everyone should give a spin or two.
Recommended If You Like: Cults, Cherry Glazerr, Chairlift, Quilt, The Waitresses
Recommended Tracks: 8 (She is Gone Again), 9 (Rolling in the Moonshine), 2 (Skinny Dippin’), 1 (Out of the Blue)
Do Not Play: None
Written by Tabitha Moore on 09/29/2016