The Sea and Cake : Car Alarm

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/theseaandcakecaralarm.jpg" alt=" " />Is there a band out there as truly <u>easy</u> to listen to as The Sea & Cake?  ...
7.8 Thrill Jockey
2008 

The Sea and Cake : Car AlarmIs there a band out there as truly easy to listen to as The Sea & Cake?  On the band’s latest, the incongruously named Car Alarm, the Chicago act keeps up their smooth alt-sounds with just enough guitars, electronica, and beats.  While somewhat simpler than last year’s Everybody (QRO review), Car Alarm is another welcome entry in the band’s relaxing, enjoyable songbook.

At first blush, the very concept of ‘indie-rock + easy listening’ seems impossible to fathom, but The Sea & Cake really do it perfectly, by taking indietronica, post-rock, seventies smooth sounds, and traditional alternative all into a well-settled mix.  What’s more, this doesn’t result in a one-note record; instead, Car Alarm has some definite standouts.  Opener “Aerial” brings a smooth-working energy to the skies, while the title track is pressing and impressive, grand but still sweet, and “Window Sills” goes into uplift.

In general, The Sea & Cake are stronger when they go for the grand, and they did do it more often on the slightly superior Everybody.  A few numbers on Car Alarm are little too simple-smooth, like “On a Letter”, “New Schools”, and “The Staircase”.  Along with a pair of instrumentals, the tech “CMS Sequence” and tropicalia “Mirrors” (which make this the first Sea & Cake record not at ten tracks – first Say Hi (QRO spotlight on) breaks his ten-track limit, now Sea & Cake?…), they are a little forgettable.  And the twinkle-speed tech of “Weekend” is slightly too disco-dance.  But none of these tracks are uneasy to listen to, and higher pieces like “Fuller Moon”, “Down in the City”, and “Pages” help keep the quality up on Car Alarm.

As The Grateful Dead and their best jam-band successors are the best music to listen to high, and certain bands & albums are the best for certain kind of drunks (think the pub-soused excellence of Oasis’ What’s the Story, Morning Glory?), The Sea & Cake is the perfect band to listen to when you’re sick (or hung-over…).  That might sound like an odd, or even backhanded, compliment, but it’s an honest and high one: nothing settles the savage stomach quite like The Sea & Cake…

MP3 Stream: “Car Alarm”

{audio}mp3/files/The Sea and Cake – Car Alarm.mp3{/audio}

 

Categories
Album Reviews
  • Anonymous
    at
  • No Comment

    Leave a Reply

    Album of the Week