Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sea Lions But Were Afraid to Ask

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sea Lions But Were Afraid to Ask

Everything you might want to know about Sea Lions is captured in the transition from the breezy, 23-second opening instrumental into the infectious “I Should Be Sleeping.” Purveyors of short and sweet pop music that never goes out of style, Sea Lions deliver an unending stream of jangly, melodic, and ultra-catchy tunes that reference doo-wop, surf rock, and modern indie rock all at once. At 15 songs in 29 minutes, the album is overflowing with skittering drums, frantic strumming, bubbling bass lines, and a chorus of “oohs” and “aahs” that support Adrian Pillado’s detached vocals. Saturated with youthful angst without being overly maudlin or twee, Pillado and the band earnestly embrace their melancholy and confusion as a means to escape it rather than wallow in it. Even the lyrical cynicism of “What’s the Point?” is swept away by the energy and optimism of the music itself, which seems to be the point. Overall, it’s a sparkling introduction to a charming band.

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