Surfaces

For Surfaces, summer is a state of mind that can be accessed “24 / 7 / 365,” to borrow a title from one of the duo’s hits. Of course, achieving this requires the ultimate chill-vibes soundtrack: breezy, laidback, and effortlessly catchy. It’s something Forrest Frank and Colin Padalecki are dedicated to supplying. Joining up in 2017, with their first recording session going down on a houseboat (a totally on-brand move for them), the Texas pair create warm-weather anthems like “Sunday Best” and “Take It Easy” by filtering flecks of ’70s soul, Brazilian jazz, and Jack Johnson-influenced folk rock through electro-pop textures as bubbly as seafoam. In addition to their tunes racking up millions of streams and going viral on TikTok throughout 2019 and 2020, they caught the ear of Elton John, who, knowing a thing or two about crafting smooth and comfy pop, teamed up with them for “Learn To Fly.” Yet there’s more going on with Padalecki and Frank’s aesthetic than just feel-good sing-alongs. What really pushes their tunes over the top is their capability of transporting listeners into precisely the kind of tropical utopian environments depicted on the neon-and-pastel-drenched artwork adorning their releases (including their 2019 breakout full-length, Where the Light Is). With everyday life having become more hectic and demanding in the 2020s, Surfaces’ gift for creating miniature sonic oases doesn’t just feel welcome; it’s downright vital.