Sonic Soul Surfer is the seventh studio album by American blues musician Seasick Steve. It is the follow-up of his previous album Hubcap Music in 2013. It was released on 23 March 2015 worldwide. Three singles were released from the album: "Bring It On" was the lead single on 25 November 2014, "Summertime Boy" was the album's second single on 10 February 2015, and music video was shot, featuring Seasick Steve surfing. Another single and music video were released on 12 April 2015: the album's opening track "Roy's Gang". A "Sonic Soul Tour" started in April 2015, with concerts in the US, and across Europe.

Sonic Soul Surfer
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 23, 2015
GenreRock, blues
LabelCaroline International, Bronze Rat Records
ProducerSeasick Steve
Seasick Steve chronology
Hubcap Music
(2013)
Sonic Soul Surfer
(2015)
Keepin' the Horse Between Me and the Ground
(2016)
Singles from Sonic Soul Surfer
  1. "Bring It On"
    Released: 25 November 2014
  2. "Summertime Boy"
    Released: 10 February 2015
  3. "Roy's Gang"
    Released: 12 April 2015
  4. "Barracuda '68"
    Released: 6 June 2015

The album was his most acclaimed to date by critics, with an average score of 70/100 according to Metacritic. It also was a commercial success, peaking at number 4 on the UK and Scottish Albums Chart, 16 in the Netherlands, 17 in Belgium, 25 in Ireland, and 64 in Australia, its best peak since his 2009 album Man From Another Time. It has been certified silver.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Metacritic70/100 [1]
Exclaim!7/10[2]
Mojo     
Amazon     
MusicOMH      [3]
AllMusic      [4]

Sonic Soul Surfer received critical acclaim, receiving an average score of 70/100 on Metacritic, based on nine critics.

Mojo gave the album four out of five stars, stating "Sonic Soul Surfer mostly trades in toe-tapping slide-guitar riffage". Q magazine also rewarded the album with four out of five stars. The website "The Metropolist" rewarded the album with three out of five stars, picking lead single "Bring It On" as a "stand-out", but criticizing "Roy's Gang" as "falling a bit flat".

Calum Slingerland of Exclaim! acknowledged that the record was more about lateral movement as opposed to breaking new musical ground, writing that Sonic Soul Surfer "reassures listeners that the California native's desire to write and play is still very much alive."[1]

French website Stillinrock[5] also gave a positive review of the record, but however criticized it in these words : "it's a fact : Sonic Soul Surfer won't be a rock'n'roll revolution. However, only a few musicians dare playing this kind of music [...]. If "powerful" is the word that comes to our mind when we think of Sonic Soul Surfer, it might be because Steve is an artist that lies neither to himself nor to his audience".

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Roy's Gang"6:07
2."Bring It On"3:46
3."Dog Gonna Play"5:17
4."In Peaceful Dreams"2:43
5."Summertime Boy"3:55
6."Swamp Dog"4:52
7."Sonic Soul Boogie"5:21
8."Right On Time"3:21
9."Barracuda '68"4:21
10."We Be Moving"5:21
11."Your Name"6:58
12."Heart Full of Scars"4:06
Deluxe Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
13."Don't Ask Me"7:29
14."Baby Please Don't Go"4:12
15."Man's Best Friend"3:41
16."Silver Dagger"2:40

Charts and certifications

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Seasick Steve - Sonic Soul Surfer". Metacritic. March 25, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  2. ^ Slingerland, Calum (March 25, 2015). "Seasick Steve - Sonic Soul Surfer". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  3. ^ Murphy, John (March 23, 2015). "Seasick Steve - Sonic Soul Surfer". MusicOMH. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  4. ^ Deming, Mark (March 24, 2015). "Seasick Steve - Sonic Soul Surfer". AllMusic. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  5. ^ "LP Review : Seasick Steve - Sonic Soul Surfer (Blues Rock)". Stillinrock.com.
  6. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Seasick Steve – Sonic Soul Surfer". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  7. ^ "Ultratop.be – Seasick Steve – Sonic Soul Surfer" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  8. ^ "Ultratop.be – Seasick Steve – Sonic Soul Surfer" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  9. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Seasick Steve – Sonic Soul Surfer" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  10. ^ "Lescharts.com – Seasick Steve – Sonic Soul Surfer". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  11. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Seasick Steve – Sonic Soul Surfer" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  12. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Seasick Steve". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  13. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  14. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Seasick Steve – Sonic Soul Surfer". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  15. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  16. ^ "Seasick Steve Chart History (Top Blues Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  17. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2015". Ultratop.be. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  18. ^ "British album certifications – Seasick Steve – Sonic Soul Surfer". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
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