Surfaces “Hidden Youth” Album Review

Hidden Youth

Surfaces

• • Genre: Pop
  • Date: 26 Aug, 2022
  • Content: Not-explicit
  • Region: USA
  • Track(s): 14

• ℗ 2022 Surfaces Music / 10K Projects

The next phase of Forrest and Colin’s musical careers is their primary concern. The two isolated themselves in a home in Joshua Tree to experiment with different sounds and record as they refined their sound and their skill. Surfaces pushed themselves to step beyond of their comfort zone and create some of their most avant-garde work to date, highly influenced by artists like Tame Impala and Tom Misch. The duo presents “Hidden Youth,” their album, which includes the hits “I Can’t Help But Feel” and “What’s Been On Your Mind?”

Album Cover Art

Orange, pink, and yellow cardboard papers or wood of some sort was chiseled into different shapes representing rays from a rising sun hiding behind the shapes of mountains that finally come down to two male figures also hiding from the sun in front of the rocky figures which provides a quite literal depiction of the album title.

Tracks and Features

“Into The Desert” begins the album on a somber note, with real-life, desert-inspired sounds like the arrival and halting of a tourist’s car and a far cry of a wolf which all blended with the guitar strings and harmonizing of voices that slowly fade away as the track comes to an end. A beautiful concept that gave way to “Golden Hour,” that highlights the worries of being in love, self-growth and finding mental peace and stability.

The melodious “It Only Takes Two” takes over and brings with it an infectious energy of a budding, carefree young love, with one party being pretty expressive about what they want, and both parties generally enjoying all the little, merry perks of being with each other. “I Can’t Help But Feel” is an ode to self. If you’re starting to learn how to love yourself and appreciate your own company, this tune is probably going to help get you one step closer.

If “what are we?” was a song, it would easily be “Falling Again.” Clarity is desperately needed. All the sparks are present, but things still seem unclear. A lot of strong will is showcased on “Rolling Stone,” delivered in a such a sweet manner you might mistake it for a love song. Impeccable production on this one. Like the title implies, “What’s Been On Your Mind?” has inquisitiveness lined in its lyrics. It shows the loving curiousity evoked in a lover when the one they love aren’t exactly at a very great spot mentally.

The same energy is transmitted to “Brand New,” that simply shows appreciation for a lover and the cute excitements that come with being a smitten kitten, while “Find A Way” is a frantic or rather cute attempt to want to correct mistakes made in the life of a love interest by other shitty past lovers. Taking almost the same route, this time with Felly, the one feature on the album, “Hold Onto Me Baby” comes with a loving, reassuring energy of always being there for a lover like the chorus puts it, “Just hold onto me, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Open Water” is an open call for some emotional assistance from a person drowning in their own sad thoughts, and trying to gain freedom from the past. A true melancholy music rendered in a relatable way that plays nurse to your sorrows. The instrumental further helps drill in the feeling. Throwing light and color to the pale blue vibe from the previous track, “Cherry Blossom” swoops in to bring the album to a calm, dreamy end.

Album Theme

Love, all its perks, and the search for it.

Production Credits

Colin Padalecki, Forrest. & Public Library Commute handled production.

Stream

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