If Guantanamo Baywatch’s blistering surf instrumentals and seething punk sermons ever seemed rooted in place, the Portland band weren’t too concerned with sticking to one on their new record, Desert Center.
That’s because all three members now live in different cities. Before writing the new record, vocalist/guitarist Jason Powell moved to Mesa, Arizona, and around the same time, drummer Chris Scott moved to Long Beach, California. This effectively ended the trio’s Northwest headquartering, though bassist Chevelle Wiseman still calls Portland home.
Desert Center follows the band’s 2012 sophomore LP, Chest Crawl, which relished in the excesses of blown-out sock hops, and 2015’s Darling… It’s Too Late, itself a departure from the lo-fi grime of their first album. Guantanamo Baywatch’s new record tempers Powell’s technical abilities as a guitarist, especially as he looks to move beyond surf rock.