An independent rock band known for creating soft, intricate pop tunes, The Sea and Cake has returned as delicate and complex as ever. On its newest release, "One Bedroom," the band produces nine new tracks that hardly stray far from its earlier recordings. Layered with experimental percussion and synthesizer effects, the album oscillates between warm Britpop friendliness and a darker Radiohead-esque intricacy.
With a sound reminiscent of The Beta Band, The Sea and Cake allow plenty of room within each song for instrumental experimentation. Each track boasts unique and upbeat percussion that compliment the more serene and convoluted guitar work that might otherwise distract from the pop roots of the album. Recalling the Beta Band again, lead Singer Sam Prepko sings and whispers along the songs with a British accent -- surprisingly incongruous for a band based out of Chicago.
Aside from the potential vocal tomfoolery, "One Bedroom" is an honest album with songwriting that strives only to achieve simple and dreamy pop bliss. The album conjures a dreamlike tone through intertwining key changes, driving beats and layers of melodic synth lines. The band's strength lies in its fearlessness to not only lay down a groove, but to sustain it over prolonged periods. Allowing the instrumentation to stand alone at times reveals the band's confidence in its ability to hold the attention of the audience without vocals or constant melodic changes.
While many current indie rock bands fear playing anything simple for more than a measure for fear of not being seen as intelligent songwriters, the band proves otherwise throughout "One Bedroom." On the first track, "Four Corners," The Sea and Cake allow the song to meander along, only playfully hinting at changing things up, for a full three minutes before Prekop's vocals enter. By letting the song develop as an instrumental, the belated, insidiously poppy vocal melody strikes even harder when it finally does kick in.
While none of the other songs include three-minute musical interludes, they all contain interesting breakdowns and crafty instrumentation. Some songs, like "Interiors" and "try nothing," avoid electronic drums and effects as The Sea and Cake's previous album "Oui" similarly did, but the majority of "One Bedroom" introduces some sort of electronic element.
One of the album's popiest songs, "Shoulder Length," is driven by an electronic drumbeat that offsets Prekop's hushed voice as he sings about the tranquility of summertime. In fact, the band often relies heavily on juxtaposing elements in their songs to create a dynamic sound. Besides pairing forceful electronic drums with soft whispers, there are numerous places on the album where a peaceful breakdown will be interrupted by an assault of feedback, or where a placid chord progression will be counterbalanced by an ominous synthesizer effect.
Whether electronic or real, the unique drumbeats are one of the most interesting aspects of "One Bedroom." Each song possesses a distinctly different beat, ranging from bossa nova to driving electronica, from waltzes to congo beats. During the fourth track, "Le Baron," drummer John McEntire uses spoons to create a beat that is both relaxing and playful, toying between a tightly knit high hat and an assault of spoon-created rhythms.
Eric Claridge's contribution on bass never veers towards flashiness, but it is nevertheless an integral aspect of the album. As with any highly melodic group, the bass holds the songs together and Claridge deftly fulfills his duty. This is not to say that Claridge doesn't playfully experiment at all, for he crafts several interesting bass-lines, but he allows them to accent the songs without detracting from their overall mood.
Overall, the album is essential for long-time fans and might be of interest to anyone who seeks to relax to whispering vocals while absorbing a barrage of drums and effects.
"One Bedroom" stands as the band's second best release, behind "Oui," which shrewdly eschewed the occasionally abrasive electronic drums.
Drumming aside though, "One Bedroom" is a solid work, and after eight years of recording and touring, The Sea and Cake have proved that they can have their cake and eat it too.
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