The Loop : Nada Surf - Lucky

Nada Surf - Lucky (2008)

We already discussed how I totally messed up and got into Nada Surf WAY after I had had every opportunity to fall in love with them. I sort of worked through the albums all jumbled, starting with The Weight is a Gift and then getting to Let Go. But my biggest "really Ashley?!" moment with this band happened with their most recent record, Lucky.

Funny enough, I actually bought this album the exact day it came out. I was making my "rounds" for Sony, visiting various Phoenix record shops, putting up/dropping off posters for our priority artists. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting to Stinkweeds in Phoenix because there was a TON of construction going on around the lightrail and to get there on any given afternoon took at least a full hour, if not more. However, this particular day I had some extra time and the traffic was working with me, so I was able to drop by and say hello. I was putting out some flyers on the counter when I saw Lucky sitting in a bin near the register. Without really even thinking, I grabbed a copy, set it down and bought it. Those days, I was getting more into digital buying but I was so anxious to have this in my hands. I got it, opened it, looked it over, got geeked out. I didn't have a CD player in my car, only a plug for my iPod, so I stuck in my "swag bag" with other assorted flyers, posters, stickets etc and went on my way.

Fast forward to October 2008. I had recently moved to New York, but found an long weekend with cheap flights in order to go home and see Arizona after about six months gone. I left AZ in kind of a mess. I was hired for my job on a Wednesday, graduated on a Thursday and moved to NY the next Friday. I packed up my apartment in a hurry and brought three big bags of clothes and necessary belongings with me back east. This trip served a dual purpose of hanging and bringing another shift of belongings back with me, namely my winter clothing (whatever that meant in AZ) My dad pointed out a few things I had left in my car that I may want, and so I started digging. I get to one of my old swag bags (seriously, I had SO many) and start seeing if there's anything interesting. Low and behold, at the bottom was my Nada Surf cd. I remember trying to remember to bring it inside with me for the few days after buying it but I kept forgetting it. I thought I had cleaned out my bags but apparently this was stuck in a pocket somewhere. I had never even listened to it! REALLY ASHLEY?!?! This still doesn't make sense to me, but what DOES make sense is that I have the attention span of a goldfish, so it's possible.

I got really excited, especially because that weekend I was using my mom's car which ONLY had a CD player. I didn't bring many CDs with me so I put it on and had it on circulation for my multiple drives to Tempe and back. One of the nights I was particularly out of it and just had it on as background. I started singing along aimlessly, realizing I knew every single word. I got to the song "Ice on the Wing" and rolled down my windows as I slipped back into consciousness, belting it like I hadn't been able to do on the subway the last 6 months. It's amazing how theraputic it was. Then and there, I knew that was going to be my top album of the year. It was PERFECT.

Well, as it were, Bon Iver squeeked by for #1, with Lucky at a close #2. This band has such an incredible ear for great pop music, and kept up up their amazing lyrics. And to think, I almost missed it! Rock and roll fail #1920381. Sorry Nada Surf, won't happen again.

This is the JAM (also, the single)