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All Music Guide

The Weight Is a Gift is Nada Surf's most honest and earnest record to date.

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Alternative Press

A nearly flawless album full of rocking pop songs that sound instantly timeless. [Oct 2005, p.156]

Drowned In Sound

If you had Nada Surf down as a one-hit wonder indie band that should remain sidelined to compilation tapes, then the magnetic glory of this album will turn your head.

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Splendid

Thankfully, the band's most endearing facets remain firmly intact -- namely, their timeless nature and complete disregard for the current musical zeitgeist.

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Billboard

There's not a clunker on "The Weight is a Gift," even if the band never veers far from the indie comfort zone of vague melancholia.

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Mojo

A triumph of majestic American pop uplift over bleak real-life adversity. [Oct 2005, p.112]

Uncut

Rammed with stinging hooks and ringing harmonies. [Oct 2005, p.112]

Delusions of Adequacy

As a whole, The Weight is a Gift wins because the band knows how to write a catchy song and make it both sad and exuberant at the same time, with an unerring pop sensibility.

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Entertainment Weekly

Matthew Caw's cool detachment can border on boring. [23 Sep 2005, p.90]

The Onion (A.V. Club)

The Weight Is A Gift isn't as lyrically sharp [as Let Go].

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Rolling Stone

Like their last album, 2003's Let Go, The Weight Is a Gift is a top-notch collection of sad-eyed guitar ballads.

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Slant Magazine

The electric guitars are grittier and the drums are more aggressive than those of many of their fellow indie-pop acts, giving Nada Surf a distinctive sound in an increasingly crowded genre and rocking hard enough that they rightfully should earn a second shot at radio.

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New Musical Express

Doesn't do a lot different from [Let Go]. [3 Sep 2005, p.74]

Under The Radar

Decidedly upbeat, and if it's not exactly littered with a plethora of outstanding tracks like its predecessor, it makes up for it in spirit. [#10, p.107]

Filter

A continuation of the trio's lovelorn, earnest pop. [#17, p.99]

Paste Magazine

A worthy sequel to the pure pop bliss of 2002's Let Go. [Oct/Nov 2005, p.125]

cokemachineglow

With the gentle, delicate soundscapes of Let Go mostly replaced by energetic guitar riffing, Nada Surf can only transcend the limitations of the '90s sound for so long.

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Pitchfork

Time has allowed Nada Surf to uncover the truth in the trite, but it has also eroded some of the band's personality.

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Tiny Mix Tapes

It's just another above average release from another indie band.

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Junkmedia

The whole affair is polished to such mirror-like perfection that I have to dim all the lights and cover my eyes when I listen to it.

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Blender

Nada Surf settle comfortably into adulthood. [Nov 2005, p.138]

Prefix Magazine

The main problem here is the theme -- the weight would have been a gift had there been some.

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PopMatters

The Weight Is a Gift is a slim, focused effort that moves forward by cutting back on some of the musical bombast but fails to produce a song as compelling as the best on Let Go.

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Q Magazine

Sadly, bland harmonies and bloodless production blunt the impact. [Oct 2005, p.117]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 26 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Greg H gave it an8:
Another good one here by a great band that somehow still remains (for better or worse) under the radar. Catchy, simple, and honest. great use of language here too. As a complete work, it is not as strong as Let Go, but, song to song, still makes for a great listening experience.

Michelle G gave it a9:
This cd is really good even though I still think that Let Go is better....you have to get used to the lyrics, but after you do its pretty catchy.

adil s gave it a7:
This is not as sweet as Let Go but it's still pretty good. Unlike Let Go which instantly catches you, this grows on you gradually. It's worth a listen. Overall I think Nada Surf are a pretty solid band, very enjoyable live, too.

JKM gave it a2:
This album is sooo blah. This is not indie rock (as I was expecting)... this is a collection of very average, 90s alternative pop radio songs... think Goo Goo Dolls meet Semisonic. Yuck! Nothing interesting happens on this album. Your Legs Grow is okay.. but. nothing else on this album sticks out to me. I'm extremely dissapointed that I put out $10 for this one. This is the first time I've been this dissapointed with a music purchase in a long time - and I buy a lot of music. Oh well. Save your money for something with some substance. This release has none.

John D gave it a7:
Not as good as Let Go, but certainly a valued release. It's an album that better every time you listen and is quite enjoyable, but doesn't have the feel of the band's best stuff. Still, it's worth getting.

Sven gave it a5:
Neither great nor horrible, just....blah. I was lucky enough to rediscover Nada Surf with "Let Go" in 03, and still think it's a solid, diverse album. I was really looking forward to Weight, but it just isn't grabbing me like Let Go. Most of the songs are mid-tempo, indistinguishable pop-rockers. I was really hoping for more melancholy...like Blizzard of 77 and Blonde on Blonde. Only "Comes a Time" is on my ipod now. Too bad...

Allison L gave it a9:
You can hear the beach and summer in Nada Surf's music. A thoroughly enjoyable listen.

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The Weight Is A Gift

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