Nashville – For those of us already fed up with colder temperatures and shorter days, the latest release from Cristobal and The Sea is finally here. The group’s characteristic warm, summery sound is showcased beautifully on their Peach Bells EP (out this week on City Slang), and if tropical vacations emanated a sound, this is what they would most certainly sound like. The five-track collection is expertly grounded in a myriad of cultural influences and is also emblematic of each member’s variegated background. But while the dreamy sounds from this new EP transport the listener to many different places at once, the band’s work still remains clear, mature, finely tuned and far from confused.
The London-based quartet describes their sound as uniquely “Tropicalia Pop”—an apt moniker for a band that is known for their ability to seamlessly weave together elements of bossa nova, California surf pop, and jazz. When looking back at their sessions spent arranging the latest iteration of their special blend of pop, the band said that, “we would try and explore the more experimental part of our sound, without compromising the pop vocal harmonies.” And this experimental sound, which is less tentative and more magical, is arguably the most prominent feature the album has to offer.
Somewhat similar to the sound of Caribou’s 2007 release Andorra, Cristobal and The Sea’s EP begins by picking the listener up at the beginning of the album and never letting her down after that. The transcendent quality of the album climaxes in “Disquiet,” which blends smooth guitar sequences and wistful jazz flute with vocal harmonies that are positively chilling in their sharpness. The dreamy, hallucinatory sound of this single sets the tone for the remainder of the album, which seems to continuously blur the line between dream and reality.
With a dreaminess that is sparsely punctuated, the album’s final track, “Zorro,” is a triumph of both experimentation and subtlety. With the exception of the song’s beginning, which is reminiscent of late ’60s keyboard solos, the instruments lose a bit of their individual characteristics but not necessarily their integrity as they are thrown together into the feverish mix. And, in what might be a deliberate attempt to leave their work open-ended, Cristobal and The Sea make sure that their sound is devoid of any harsh stops or rigid ends.
Although the Peach Bells EP features a multitude of sounds and genres all at once, it also manages to present a layer of unbridled passion over flawless continuity from beginning to end. Held together by what can only be categorized as a purely enigmatic sound, this album is one of the most visionary releases this year has seen. While Cristobal and The Sea continue to collect praise in both Europe and the United States, their Peach Bells EP will only add even more listeners to their burgeoning fan bases on both sides of the Atlantic. It appears that 2015 will bring more success for the group and more sounds for the spectators as the group wraps up this year on such a high note.
Check out Cristobal and The Sea’s Facebook to see when they’ll be touring.
Amaryllis Lyle
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