Grade: B+

“Pythons” may be the perfect sampling of the feelings that accompany lazy summer days. Along with mixture of a blithe attitude, romantic pining and a sometimes apathetic outlook, Surfer Blood continues in the same vein as its previous albums without losing its innovative spark. The indie rockers create an aural bottling of laid-back beach vibes, “Needles and Pins,” and bouncy dance tunes, “Gravity,” giving the album some necessary diversity.

Lead vocalist John Paul Pitts’ soothing, yet gloomy voice juxtapositions nicely with the often upbeat sound of the songs. The complexity and overall production of the instrumental work and layering has improved in the past few years, resulting in a more polished sound, so fans of Surfer Blood’s lightly distorted essence may be disappointed. “Pythons” also includes two enticing bonus tracks adding a cherry on top of this already gratifying musical offering.