
The Silver Seas
High Society
Cheap Lullaby
The band formerly known as The Bees have changed their name to The Silver Seas and put together a ’70s soft rock album in the vein of Elton John, James Taylor and Paul McCartney. They play piano-dominated melodies that make for the perfect backdrop to a sunny afternoon, or a candlelit evening in.
The Nashville band is led by songwriter/singer Daniel Tashian, whose vocals have layers of sadness beneath the softly, sweet surface. At times it’s like a less nasal Rufus Wainwright, while closer to The Beach Boys on other occasions (like the mostly instrumental, wordless beauty of “Tativille”).
High Society is cinematic in sound, playing like a film score to a movie that’s yet to be made. The aforementioned “Tativille” could be easily slipped into the next Sam Mendes (American Beauty) film.
Only once does this band lose me, and that’s during the knee-slapping, harmonica stomp of “Catch Yer Own Train.” It’s not a bad song, but its bluegrass bopping is sorely out of place on this album’s otherwise mellow plain. “The Country Life,” “We’ll Go Walking” and “Imaginary Girl” are the big winners here.
Cheap Lullaby Records: http://www.cheaplullaby.com