High/Low (album)

High/Low is the debut studio album by the American band Nada Surf, released in 1996.^[2][3] It contains the hit single "Popular".^[4] High/Low was produced by Ric Ocasek.^[5] Nada Surf supported it by touring with Superdrag and the Gravel Pit.^[6]

High/Low
Studio album by Nada Surf
Released	June 18, 1996[1]
Recorded	December 1–20, 1995
Studio	Electric Lady, New York City
Genre	Alternative rock, power pop
Length	36:31
Label	Elektra
Producer	Ric Ocasek
Nada Surf chronology
High/Low (1996) The Proximity Effect (1998)

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[7]
Chicago Tribune	[8]
Christgau's Consumer Guide	[9]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[10]
Entertainment Weekly	B−[11]
Pitchfork	7.4/10[12]

The Baltimore Sun noted that "there's an almost elegant austerity to the album's sound, but what ultimately brings the songs into focus is the band's ultra-efficient playing, which is so sparing you'd think the recording studio charged them by the note."^[13] The Ottawa Citizen concluded that Nada Surf "may have been moulded by a superior studio presence, but the root of their sound, guitar-driven and heavy on the backbeat, speaks of an energy that was harnessed and focused, not manufactured."^[14]

Track listing

All tracks written by Matthew Caws and Daniel Lorca, except where noted.

1. "Deeper Well" – 3:55 - written by Caws, Lorca and Robert Randall
2. "The Plan" – 4:31
3. "Popular" – 3:48 - written by Caws, Lorca and Gloria Winters
4. "Sleep" – 3:47
5. "Stalemate" – 3:38
6. "Treehouse" – 2:43
7. "Icebox" – 3:17
8. "Psychic Caramel" – 4:00
9. "Hollywood" – 2:20
10. "Zen Brain" – 4:28

Personnel

Nada Surf

• Matthew Caws – guitar, vocals
• Daniel Lorca – bass
• Ira Elliot – drums

Production

• Bruce Calder – engineer, mixer
• George Marino – mastering
• Ric Ocasek – producer
• Andy Salas – assistant engineer

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Peak position
1996	Billboard 200[15]	63

Singles

Year	Song	Chart	Position
1996	"Popular"	Billboard Modern Rock Tracks[16]	11

References

1. Borzillo, Carrie (August 10, 1996). "Elektra's Nada Surf Finds 'Popular'-ity". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 32. pp. 11, 76.
2. Blush, Steve (2016). New York Rock: From the Rise of the Velvet Underground to the Fall of CBGB. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. 368.
3. Catlin, Roger (November 15, 1996). "Popularity Has Its Price for Nada Surf at Toad's". Hartford Courant. p. A4.
4. Sherr, Sara (July 19, 1996). "Superdrag/Nada Surf". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 15.
5. Maples, Tina (August 16, 1996). "The rise of power-pop". Cue. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 4.
6. Dunn, Michael (July 25, 1996). "'Popular' trio rides the wave". Florida/Metro. The Tampa Tribune. p. 3.
7. "High/Low Review by Ned Raggett". AllMusic. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
8. Kot, Greg (August 8, 1996). "Recordings". Chicago Tribune. pp. E9B. ProQuest 2190270185.
9. Christgau, Robert (2000). "Nada Surf: High/Low (Elektra '96)". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. p. 221. ISBN 0-312-24560-2 – via Internet Archive.
10. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2006). "Nada Surf". Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6 (4th ed.). MUZE. pp. 106–107. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4 – via Internet Archive.
11. Browne, David (June 21, 1996). "High/Low". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
12. Schreiber, Ryan. "Nada Surf High/Low". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on November 23, 2001. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
13. Considine, J. D. (July 25, 1996). "Nada Surf High/Low". Features. The Baltimore Sun. p. 8.
14. Blanchfield, Mike (August 24, 1996). "Nada Surf has bloodlines, sound to stay at high tide". The Ottawa Citizen. p. E3.
15. "The Billboard 200". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 34. August 24, 1996. p. 128.
16. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks 1981-2008. Record Research. p. 173.