Dom Mariani doesn’t look like a surfer, at least not superficially. There is no sun-drenched hair, no sun-bronzed skin, no rugged bravado to be seen or heard. But if Dom Mariani doesn’t know his surf music, then everyone else should stop trying.
Turn Up the Sun is Mariani’s latest recording with his sometime recording outfit, The Majestic Kelp. It’s a journey through the wonder and beauty of the surf-rock world: Goin’ Back to Surf City is the stomping surf track, a nod to Dick Dale and all the good he brought to rock’n’roll; Turn Up the Sun is tranquil to the point of distraction. Silver Sea lies in the shallows of the crashing waves, and revels in the moment; Where in the World (A Song For the Summer) reminds us that summer is, arguably, the only season that matters.
Smoke Signals takes a stroll down to the Californian beach and finds the remnants of Stevie Wonder’s soul revolution, The Ghost of Boobalooba Beach is dark, dangerous and mysterious and Gin and Tonic takes Link Wray and locates him squarely in a laconic spaghetti western setting. Meninas Do Sol takes a journey to fertile Iberian surf-western pastures and kicks back without a care i the world, and Bollywood and Western is the ideal marriage of eastern pop and western surf-rock.
Dom Mariani doesn’t have anything left to prove – but if he does, Turn Up the Sun confirms Mariani as Australian king of surf music.
BY PATRICK EMERY
Best Track: Going Back To Surf City
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: DICK DALE, THE BREAK
In A word: Tranquil
