Back in 2023, Arizona-based Surf-rockers Desert Undertones released their acclaimed 5-track, 14-minute EP Paniola and they followed up at the close of 2024 with The Sentinel. Headed up by guitarist / composer Dylan Oldham, and featuring the fine rhythm section of Curt Pleiss (drums) and Christopher Marshall (bass), the 10-track album sounds like traditional instrumental surf-rock in the best sense of the word, yet there’s nothing dark or noir about The Sentinel. It’s positive, upbeat and well recorded.

Paying respects to a genre that made its biggest impacts half a century ago and putting your own stamp on it is no mean feat. Influences from American surf-rock legends like The Ventures and Dick Dale are easy to deduce yet there’s also something newer and exciting about Desert Undertones. Hat’s off to Dylan Oldham and crew for bringing the time-honored surf-rock sound up to date with the 10-track, 27-minute sounds of The Sentinel.