2026 is shaping up to be a banner year for instro, and one of the things that makes that possible is not just releases from established surf acts, but breakout LPs from relative unknowns. For example, the debut LP from Finland's The Cruel Seals, who I otherwise only had heard a live EP from in 2022, and I had misread their name to match the song popularized by The Ventures (though originally by The Dakotas).