The Halibuts "Life On The Bottom" 1996

While it would be easy enough to stuff the Halibuts into the retro surf-band file, a quick listen to this shows them to be a top-notch instrumental combo with a propensity for handling a diverse number of styles. While the reverb stun-gun attack of the guitars veers them into retro territory, their takes on Gershwin's "Summertime" and "Istanbul" make them a band with a little more to offer when you've overdosed on every cover version of "Misirlou" there is. - Cub Koda, All Music Guide
Too many of these modern instrumental surf acts try so hard to put a spin on their music that their music ends up suffering under the weight of their particular spin. Man or Astroman have some great tunes, but it's hard to hear them through the electronic noise and junk. The Blue Hawaiians made one good album ("Sway") and have sunk into a lounge-band hell lately. The Halibuts are the only guys with the guts to play instrumental surf music straight and to take their chances. There's no hypenization here: no "lounge-surf" or "electronic-surf" or the like. Just surf. And, much like the great surf LP's of yesteryear, the songs are only as good as their melodies and performances. Thankfully, the Halibuts uncork one great melody and performance after another. "Hammerhead," "Caldera," and the rest are fantastic songs. The Halibuts don't ape the old surf songs like Los Straitjackets do--they create new surf songs that are just as compelling and original as the best of their predecessors. - amazon
trax:
1. Hammerhead 2. Caldera 3. Stinky 4. Life On The Bottom 5. Ta-Hu-Wa-Hu-Wai 6. Noodles 7. Hombre De Palabra 8. Madcap 9. Hula Scuba 10. Suicide Bay 11. Night Crawler 12. Duck Dive 13. Fire One! 14. Istanbul 15. Summertime