The new, long-awaited second album from the Oxnard indie-pop outfit Sea Lions gets off to an unassuming start. Beginning with a Roman Gonzalez beat that sounds like a cross between the backbone of an old skool teeny-bopper pop/rock tune and classic first-two-albums-era-Strokes, it starts reservedly. When the other instruments come in, Head In The Clouds blossoms instantly into full bloom. The guitars – twangy and shimmery – work wonders, and the bass weaves its way around everything else with confidence and conviction. The pièce de résistance, however, in this track in particular, is the vocals – or, more specifically, the relationship between the lead vocal and the backing vocals. The sugar-sweet Beach Boys-esque falsetto backing is the perfect counterfoil to the almost deadpan-sounding style of the main vocal – coming courtesy of frontman Adrian Alatorre Pillado. All the components together end up making a song that sounds a bit like the aforementioned acts blended with Surfer Blood, Drums and Best Coast. It’s a breath of fresh air and a blinding ray of sunlight, breaking through the incoming grey of autumn.
Up next is Hollow Inside, which has the same Beach Boys-esque, almost Ronettes-like feel. I suppose it’s the Spector connection. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Pillado was a big fan or a student of the game. The production is luscious and full, with the instruments that appeared on the last track complemented by additional keys. It feels like a perfect successor to the previous song and quickly solidifies the album’s sonic palette and audible identity.
As if on cue, Aging follows and begins with a rather psychedelic sequence. Sounding a bit like how I imagine The Brian Jonestown Massacre might sound with Johnny Marr joining them on guitar, the mood here feels sinister and malevolent. Darker than what preceded it, track three is the deepest depths this album has seen so far. Special mention must be made to the guitar solo in the second half of the song – which features some spellbinding virtuosity and expression, without ever stepping over into the wankery arena. The vocal style on this one reminds a little bit of one of the singers from The Smittens – another indie pop band well worth checking out.
Hearts Prevail clocks in at only 2 minutes and 19 seconds, but in that time it takes the listener on an incredible joyride through technicolour dreamscapes and all manner of highs and lows – often at the same time. Lines like “I’ve seen the hurt, I’ve felt the pain”, “I knew I had to let you go” and “I felt so small and so alone” all elicit feelings of sadness and dejection, but the musical accompaniment couldn’t be more diametrically opposed. By no means a new approach, this is an effective technique used excellently – and probably most notably – by indie forefathers The Smiths. This song feels like a natural successor to Messrs. Morrissey and Marr – fans of the Manchester band should find plenty to love here. Come to think of it, the drums have more than a touch of Mike Joyce about them as well. In for a penny, in for a pound.
Leaves Are Falling takes the tempo down in the intro but quickly builds it back up again. Surfy, swampy and shimmery, this one feels like a real amalgamation. Decidedly retro-feeling and full of personality and individuality, it’s a characterful noise. Brave and bold, this one sees them again leaning more into psychedelic sounds, with the instrumental breaks in particular coming across as especially trippy. Catchy but still extremely arty and clearly very creative, this trio are not messing about. Harnessing clear and obvious influences over the course of the album into something all their own, this fifth track is just another example of this three-piece carving out their own niche.
Tumbling Down feels a bit more New Wave (maybe even venturing into New Romantic territory with the synths?) in terms of the instrumental sounds it employs. Add those sunshiny LA backing vocals into the mix, and you’ve got quite an intriguing prospect. The psych feel reintroduces itself quite quickly, and very soon we’re back in more familiar territory (compared to where the song started off, at least). What do you get if you cross Brian Wilson with Satanic Majesties-era Rolling Stones and have Anton Newcombe on vocals? Chances are, something like this. I’m also reminded a bit of Oasis at their most adventurous, and indeed, divisive. Think of the most out-there sounds that can be found on criminally underrated seventh (proper) and final album Dig Out Your Soul and you’re somewhere in the right ballpark. It ends with a full-on saxophone-infused psych wig-out that the Amorphous Androgynous would be proud of. And that really is saying something.
Track 7 is entitled Can’t Say No, and it opens with a brief freaky soundscape intro. This gives way to a snappy drum part which is soon joined by some beautiful guitars and captivating lyrical imagery. Adrian sings about being sucked in by laser beams and stars falling from the sky, and the whole thing feels rather dreamy and scenic. At times a little reminiscent of our own Mannequin Flowers, this is a beautiful blend of elements – part dreampop, part jangle pop – that works perfectly.
Ocean Blue keeps the vibe going with beautiful layered vocals, chimey guitars and warm keys, but adds what sounds like some slide guitar to the mix for what I think is the first time. This additional component adds tonal variance, which at this point is much appreciated. That’s not to say that the group’s sound thus far has been overdone or the pudding has been overegged, as it were. But it just goes to demonstrate how the band are not one-trick ponies, despite the overarching stylistic consistency. Moments like this one and the keys in Tumbling Down or the solo on Aging, for example, all serve to show us that they have more than a couple of tricks up their sleeve that serve to embellish the sound that – by this point – we as listeners have come to know and love.
You Forever is a smooth, gentle ballad that enchants from the outset. Those glorious vocal harmonies are back (all the product of one man, by the way) and are the star of the show. The keys here soar and really lift the tune to another plane when they come in at around a third of the way through. Another aspect that elevates the track is the buzzsaw lead guitar that comes in towards the end. Crucially, the balance of this ingredient in the mix is just right- shout-out to Roger Camero, who, together with the band’s Jack-of-All-Trades frontman, is responsible for this.
In My Eyes follows and begins with another Johnny Marr-leaning guitar motif. When the other instruments kick in, it feels like it’s begging to be released as a single. Catchy, propulsive and lively, the jangly chords mesh with the lead lines beautifully, and the rhythm section is as consistent as ever. Whilst not officially a proper member of the band (their band camp lists the band as Adrian Alatorre Pillado: Vocals, guitars, and more; Roman Gonzalez: Drums), the invaluable contribution of Kyle Zufolo on the bass guitar cannot be overstated – across the length and breadth of the album – but especially on this song.
Up next is Couldn’t Be, which is the most downtempo the album has been. It’s a pensive, moody piece that feels like it could be perfect for the end credits to a film. It feels like the sound of some kind of epic conclusion, but this is somewhat of a dastardly trick, as there is, in fact, one more song left. Couldn’t Be segues into Sempiternal Light (sempiternal means everlasting, by the way – yes, I had to Google it, and no, I’m not ashamed to admit it, LOL) that, after the previous song, feels like the soundtrack to a secret post-credits scene. A gentle acoustic guitar is accompanied by minimal keys in a repetitive motif that gives the song a meditative, contemplative feel. It grows gradually over the course of its 3 and three quarter minutes and eventually concludes in a hazy cloud of unassuming glory. As unassuming an end to the album as were the moments that opened it, this fantastic record is bookended by moments of very different beauty.
This album is a complete piece of work. A record like records used to be – full of vivacious instrumentation, indelible pop charm and – most importantly – incredible songs. I’d suggest it’s best consumed as a whole, from front to back and with your full attention. And ideally on the limited edition, hand-numbered vinyl version, which, incidentally, you can order here.
Written by Black Rainbow Collective
