The Scandinavians have become the standard-bearers for excellence when it comes to instrumental and surf sounds made in the 21th century. For instance, the Swedish combo the Surfites have led the line-up when it comes to releasing instrumental albums which stand up as giants of the genre. Perhaps this development can be traced back to the immense popularity of the Shadows and Spotnicks in the Nordic region during the ‘60s. Still, these Scandinavians combos tend to lean towards the Southern Californian ‘60s surf sounds instead of the aforementioned European instro sounds and/or the Rautalanka sound of nearby Finland. In the last few years, another Scandinavian outfit with the very Golden State name of Baja Bug has emerged from Olso, Norway blazing along with a sound that could be coined “Dune Buggy Rock.” Baja Bug seems reminiscent at times of the liminal scene and sound that blipped between the second wave surf revival of the early '80s and the third wave cursed and blessed by Pulp Fiction. It was a time when bands like the Dragsters (from New Jersey) truly stood out in the late ‘80s sea of metal with their image, iconography and inspired choice to cover “Maria” from West Side Story. This record starts with some indistinguishable spooky surf, although “Zombies on Surfboards” does seem to cleverly quote from “Interstellar Overdrive.” Baja Bug finds its footing on the fourth song in with “Moose on the Loose.” The immediate song sparkles with surging melodic runs and a whirling organ overlapping to achieve a perfectly balanced alignment. They also separate themselves from the pack of bands who sound totally removed from the elements of surfing itself. The power and glory of the Pacific Ocean, the rolling lift of catching a wave and traversing towards the wraparound shore are all captured and sonically expressed. For instance, “Gunfight in Kreml” features a dashing Russian folk melody and a tubular arrangement which evokes that fleeting feeling (or pipedream) of riding in the barrel. The sweeping Southwestern sound of “Moehawk” appears over the desert horizon with twang and menace recalling the wide-screen sounds of the Hellbenders. “Pacific Punch” could be the group’s signature song as it's the most quintessential Baja Californian or Coloradoan as it echoes the Astronauts-motoring along boulders of bright melodies and maintaining traction with its underneath churning percussion. The addition of a roll bar of guitars expands the song to the wide-open West where mountains, ocean, sun and sand converge. Baja Bug is making a run for being the world’s best and only current dune buggy rock band. Hopefully, more groups will follow in its tracks.
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