The Elected – Sun, Sun, Sun

Just Try Not To Smile

Blake Sennett hasn’t quit his day job with Rilo Kiley, but he has created an immensely pleasing alt-country album just in time to spark summer romance for his listeners. Sun, Sun, Sun is the second album from Sennett’s side project, The Elected, and its richness belies the band’s relatively short time together.The album’s first track, “Clouds Parting (8:14am),” sets the tone of the album in 45 expertly produced seconds. A dreamlike trip through thoughts of love both found and lost immediately starts on “Would You Come With Me.” Sennett manages to sound softly plaintive without whining – a true indie feat.

Daniel Brummel of Ozma, Rilo Kiley drummer Jason Boesel and Mike Bloom round out The Elected. The Elected does alt-country as well as Ozma did pop on Doubble Donkey Disc. The talented line up comes together seamlessly.

Scene voyeurs will particularly enjoy “It Was Love,” a song Sennet sings with ex-girlfriend and current Rilo Kiley bandmate Jenny Lewis, who released her own alt-country album the same day as Sun, Sun, Sun. The song ends beautifully with “it was love/to us, it was all that we had/and there’s just a day when you just break/the best thing you had/and I still call it love/for now, it’s the closest I’ve come.” Regardless of the song’s origins it is a sweetly matter-of-fact remembrance of one previous relationship.

This album is perfectly suited for the time when spring slowly warms into summer, with just enough twang to keep the whole effort honest. Lovely melodies are second nature for Sennett, and Sun, Sun, Sun demonstrates this beautifully.