Everyone and their mother has had a pre-release this year, and NCT Wish are the latest to jump on the trend. Ahead of their new mini album, they’ve unveiled summer single Surf. Though we’re currently in the middle of a heat wave in my neck of the woods, it feels a bit late in the season to release a summer song. Yes, there are still weeks left to go until Autumn, but the days are already growing shorter.
Nonetheless, I will always appreciate a summer single. Once upon a time (in fact, almost exactly eight years ago today), Wish’s seniors NCT Dream released a full summer EP and Surf‘s freewheeling energy reminds me of songs like We Young. It’s an unabashedly retro sound, pulling from multiple decades of summer tropes to craft something that feels outside of time. We’ve got a bit of new jack swing, pinwheeling brass and wisps of synth strings. I love this instrumental. It has a classic appeal that sidesteps trends in a refreshing way.
The song itself is less engaging than the production, but I’m pleased that it largely forgoes the shout-chanting often favored by NCT units. Instead, the guys deliver featherweight melodies with equally fizzy execution. No melody stands out as particularly memorable, but this is one time I’m going to actually praise a song for its “vibes.” It’s hard to dislike something this buoyant and bright and my summer playlist is wide open for a song of this style.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
