One of the many contemplative highlights from last year's excellent "Just Beyond The River" album, "Surf Song" is quiet, reflective and romantic and gentle to the touch.
As with all Yorkston's best songs (and there are many these days), it's a subtle affair, with The Athletes unobtrusively stamping their authority on the song as it unravels. This time, their all-important contributions include warm harmonies, keening violin and Reuben Taylor's ever-tasteful accordion. The key line is "I do what I can to keep my life moving along" and the whole thing is wrapped in a coating of silvery melancholia that suits the reminiscence to a T. Resonant, in a word.
Meanwhile, to anyone familiar with either the Tim Buckley original or the equally Godlike This Mortal Coil version, the idea of covering "Song To The Siren" seems misguided at best. We shouldn't have worried, though, as Yorkston and co again pull it off magnificently, reconstructing the song's aquatic, dream-like state as something Celtic, earthy and folksome that fans of such as Dick Gaughan and Bert Jansch could appreciate and take a pride in.
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James Yorkston & The Athletes, then, continue to go from strength to strength AND hoard the odd surprise or three up their collective sleeve. More again soon, please.
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