Kevin Bronson on November 16th, 2023

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Foxtide aren’t the first Southern California band to stroke like the Strokes and they won’t be the last. Of course, the DIY quartet’s music is a little more surf-and-sun nonchalance than leather-jacketed swagger.

The band, fronted by Elijah Gibbins-Croft, released EPs in 2019 and 2021. The frontman is surrounded by a new lineup — Oey James, Dom Friedly and Ian Robles — for their third EP, “Paradise,” out today and fully embracing the garage-rock of the 2000s.

Full of taut guitars and Gibbins-Croft’s sonorous belting, “Paradise” is highlighted by the confessional “Bumps and Bruises” and “Hold On.” The former doesn’t hit as hard as its title suggests yet speaks to the growing pains of youth. “It’s ultimately about keeping your inner high schooler alive and the struggles of change while getting out of being a teenager,” Gibbins-Croft says.

The adrenaline bomb “Hold On” scratches all your deep-seated guitar itches, arguing for taking a step back and putting things in perspective. Humility is a good thing, even if you’re listening to it on the highway with the windows down (it’s perfect for it).

||| Watch: The video for “Hold On”

||| Also: Stream “Paradise” in its entirety

||| Live: Foxtide open for Surely Tempo on Dec. 2 at the Glass House (tickets), and they open for the Hails on Feb. 9 at the Moroccan Lounge (tickets).