Song of the day: Nada Surf/"Hi-Speed Soul"

It's hard to live down a hit. Rock history is rife with bands who had a hit single early in their career but never quite managed to outrun the shadow of their own success. Nada Surf could easily have been one of those bands. For better or worse, the group's 1996 single, "Popular," became a staple of alternative and modern rock stations in the mid-1990s.

Despite that initial success, the band was summarily dropped by Elektra Records and subsequently signed by indie label Barsuk. Barsuk re-released the band's second album, The Proximity Effect, in 2000, and followed it up in 2003 with the album Let Go. That album was one of my happy Rhapsody discoveries in 2003, particularly the song "Hi-Speed Soul," which features an infectious chorus backed by chiming guitars. As a whole, Let Go is an enjoyable listen (check out "Inside of Love") and proof that so-called one-hit wonders can make quiet comebacks. Enjoy!