The day indie grew up
Honestly, true mood music is hard to come by. The kind that is subtle enough can fade into the atmosphere, but unique enough to make the atmosphere you’re in feel like a cool one. If it’s not cool enough, you’re just listening to elevator music. The Sea and Cake, however, have their moods down pat. These indie darlings have always been able to ride the line between casual folk, relaxing contemplation, sensitivity and intriguing sound. Their newest album Any Day is no deviation from that tried and true form.
Any Day wastes no time with fanciful introductions as the opener, “Cover the Mountain,” simply begins and lets the listener catch up. The song opens with one beat of pick-up, followed by the vocal hook of the verse. And what a hook it is, giving a motion forward that leaves behind any song-skipping thoughts. Breakbeat drums under beachy, lush guitars? It’s like a (500) Days of Summer fan’s wildest dream come true. There’s always that great feeling when you feel content to just let an album play, and already the transition to the next song “I Should Care” swings by without a second thought. Little does one know, that something special is around the corner.
Connoisseurs of the folksy driving music will identify with much of the introspective strummings found on “Any Day.” It’s a sound that works every time. At 1:44 of the title song, however, the ear catches the first hints of TSAC’s layering in of orchestral colors. The warm, humble clarinets and strings feel like old friends to the folk guitar that, surprisingly, one has forgotten how good they sound together. The pairing could not be more gorgeous, and it’s only the third song.
More of this formula keeps on, with some electric guitar introduced in “Starling,” and lo-fi flute sounds that color “Paper Window.” It’s funny because, in relation to the aforementioned elevator music earlier, classical instruments find new highlights with the borderline bossa nova track, “Into Rain.” It’s a subtle genre morph, but one that still feels contained in the Sea and Cake relaxed, poppy style.
Back to those modern breakbeat rhythms, “Circle” reintroduces the contemporary. Well, the 2000s indie version of contemporary. That bossa flair, though, still lingers in the chords and timbres, creating a quizzical new sound that continues Any Day‘s lead into gentle new waters. “These Falling Arms” provides a nice capstone to these thoughts, with a simple, pleasant love song vibe. As the song ends, it becomes clear exactly how an indie folk band such as the Sea and Cake can grow and mature past their beginnings and break new ground ever-so-sweetly.
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