Reverie Lagoon: Music For Escapism Only

Seahaven’s second album, Reverie Lagoon: Music for Escapism Only, was produced by band leader Kyle Soto at Mike Mogis’ ARC studios in Omaha and engineered and mixed by Ben Brodin (Bright Eyes, Pete Yorn). By leaving their West Coast environs, the Torrance, Calif., quartet wrote with a warm, nostalgic ear for their home grounds. Divided into four sides of 4-3, 4-3, Reverie Lagoon is meant to be a two-record set, recalling the days when that format signified a major work. It’s focused on indie rock textures where reverb might be the sweetest touch and brawny bass and drums are a given. Soto is front and center for “On the Floor,” which starts the second part of the first half, with just his voice and a solitary guitar carrying the weight of the song’s first two minutes. “Flesh” kicks up the tempo to pop song speed. The overall leisurely beauty might be "for escapism only." But much like groups such as Red House Painters, Low, and Ida (that were sometimes called “slo-core” in the ‘90s), Seahaven tap into music that’s never truly been a genre but bases itself on clearheaded introspection.