''The Proximity Effect'' is the second album by the

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band

Nada Surf Nada Surf is a New York City-based American alternative rock band formed in the 1990s, consisting of Matthew Caws (guitar, vocals), Ira Elliot (drums), Doug Gillard (guitar, backing vocals), and Daniel Lorca (bass, backing vocals). History 199 ...

. It was released by

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...

in Europe in 1998, and by MarDev in North America in August 2000.

Recording

Finding no radio-friendly single on the album, Elektra asked the band to write a hit, had them record covers of other artists, and tried to push ''Why Are You So Mean To Me?'' as the first single. The band refused and, after its release in Europe in September 1998, the band did a 30-show tour in France in early 1999. Elektra dropped the band, initially setting a high purchase price for the rights to the album. The band eventually released the album in the United States via their own label, MarDev, in 2000.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

concluded that "while there are times where ''The Proximity Effect'' tries to break out of the limiting corner of the alt-rock universe it's staked for itself (like the power pop rave-up 'Why Are You So Mean to Me?'), more often than not it returns to the familiar, and assumingly comforting, haven of angst-free pop."

Track listing

1998 Elektra version

2000 MarDev version

Details

The album's re-issue has the last two tracks take the place of both of the covers found on the original release.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Proximity Effect, The Nada Surf albums 1998 albums