All those who associate Nada Surf with anything else than the monster hit from 1996 "Popular" put up a hand!
No, it was not many of you out there. Just what I thought. These Americans, despite five previous albums on the merit list could not free themselves from the one-hit wonder stigma they have had since the premiere single from their debut "High / Low" exploded and set them on the map. It may not be obvious that the band does a cover CD in the middle of career like theirs, but perhaps that is what is the obvious choice is? Difficult question to answer... Anyway that's what they've done and the result is quite shattered.
Their attempt to sing in French in the songs Bye Bye Beaute (Coralie Clément) and Evolution (Mercomina) falls rather flat, but otherwise "If I Had a Hi-Fi" is actually a rather cool album.
When Nada Surf take hold of their own favorites from the turntables, they do so with a powerpop nerve. As if Sugarplum Fairy and Matthew Sweet did a coveralbum together. Best songs on the album are a powered version of the Moody Blues tune "Question" and a very nice version of Depeche Modes "Enjoy The Silence".
