Sea and Cake ‘Runner.’ (Thrill Jockey)

It’s funny, I think I always expected The Sea and Cake to sound more difficult than they actually do. That somehow, by being from Chicago, and being on a painfully cool label like Thrill Jockey, they’d be really heavy going, or something (I don’t know why, I’ve never got further west in the states than New Jersey). But the reality is, they are a very easy band to love.

This is actually their tenth album. And on it, they sound remarkably fresh, when some bands seem to run out of ideas (or people to rip off!) after about half a dozen songs. The effect of this album -which I have played several times – is that of a pleasant sunny day, not too hot, but one that lifts you rigtht up. And when it’s yet another rainy day in Scotland, well God knows we need that…

So it’s a leftfield sort of pop meets electronica, and the tracks like ‘Harps’ and ‘On and On’ that have been doing the rounds for a while now giving a good insight into what the album is like.

A welcome addition to your life.

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Runner is out now on Thrill Jockey.