Album of the Week: Cayucas – “Blue Summer”

October 1st, 2020 by Ronnie Gruseck

Reviewed by Anna Markulis
Release: September 25th, 2020

Rate: 9/10

RIYL: Beach Boys, Beck, Real Estate, Allah-Las, Beach Fossils

Brothers Zach and Ben Yudin from Santa Monica return with more California summer-inspired music in their fourth album, “Blue Summer.” While COVID-19 forced us to stay home this summer, Cayucas instantly transports you to the warm carefree feeling of summer in California; driving with the windows down, surfing at the beach, enjoying the warmth without a care in the world. Cayucas takes the summer surf sound of the Beach Boys and transforms it into a new modern indie sound of their own in this album. You truly feel like you’re at the beach when listening to “Blue Summer.”

“Malibu ‘79 Long” pays homage to the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” while “California Girl” perfectly describes the mysterious dream girl in the Golden Coast of California we can all imagine. “Red – Yellow Bonfire” brings in a more lo-fi acoustic sound that is reminiscent of playing guitar around a campfire at night at the beach. “Summer Moon” ends the album on a calm, dreamy note, perfectly embodying the tired yet content feeling after a long day at the beach. “Blue Summer” is the perfect escape from today’s world that you do not want to miss.