Every band-- surf or other-- needs something that makes them stand out from the crowd. Pollo Del Mar's "thing" appears to be MOODINESS. There's something spooky in the 10 tracks on this CD that inspires nervousness as much as enjoyment. From "Annabelle Lee" (named after the Edgar Allen Poe poem) to "Apache '99" (a cover of the classic song by the British band The Shadows) it's one cool recording after another. A surprise for me was "The Saracen Gift", based (more-or-less) on "The Little Drummer Boy". THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA is a perfect "soundtrack" for swimming underwater-- just after your ship has gone down! For more Pollo Del Mar, also check out REEF MADNESS!, which contains "Death Valley Daze" (not found here).