Customer Reviews

Everybody

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Spring is in the air and for me there's nothing better then sitting outside with a couple of friends while listening to the Sea and Cake
It has been 4 very long years since the last Sea and Cake album but with Everybody it was well worth the wait.
I've been a Sea and Cake fan for a long time and I know a lot of people are probably going to disagree with me when I say this but this is their best album to date.
Just like previous Sea and Cake album's Sam Prekop's smooth breathy croon draws you in but this time around his lyrics seem to be more audible and easier to understand and you'll easily find yourself singing along with every song.
Musically the band has never sounded better, with Everybody the Sea and Cake gracefully move away from the electronic synth sound that has been present on their last three albums but instead focus more on the up tempo post-rock pop style that brings back fond memories of Nassau and the Biz.
Also gone are the slower instrumental songs that at times would have a tendency to slow down the pace of the album. From guitar driven songs like "Crossing Lines" and "Exact to Me" to the airy sounds of "Middlenight" and "Transparent" or the very poppy "Too Strong" and my personal favorite," Lightning" the Sea and Cake deliver on what they do best and that's making great music.
The Sea and Cake has been a staple in the indie music scene for close to 13 years now and with their 7th release I truly hope this band gets the recognition they so rightfully deserve. Whether you've been a long time fan or if you're just getting in to the Sea and Cake for the first time this truly is an amazing album that "Everybody" will enjoy

If I hadn't stumbled on a review of "One Bedroom" on NPR's "All Things Considered" one afternoon, I may well never have heard, or heard of this wonderful band. That accidental exposure to The Sea and Cake" started a love affair with their music, and it's high time others besides a cult audience latched onto this brilliant band.
"Everybody" is the long awaited followup to "One Bedroom", although singer and guitarist Sam Prekop submitted "Who's Your New Professor" between CD's to help us weather the wait for new S & C material.
"Up On Crutches" sets the tone, a tad bit more direct perhaps than the last two efforts, the aforementioned "One Bedroom" and the outstanding "Oui", which everybody who has any interest in beauty with a jazz flavor pop music should own. The new music still floats, caresses and soothes. Prekop's breathy vocals and the coolness of the guitars and keyboards defy gravity, and add new dimensions to jazz "cool", which only Steely Dan had previously understood as far as rock bands were concerned.
Even the feedback of "Left On" doesn't carve any ragged edges, and the closer features some very nice harmonies at the end.
This world isn't getting any safer, the pressures aren't getting any easier. We are in desperate need of tranquility that can settle our jagged nerves, and nobody does it better than the Sea and Cake.

I just got into the Sea and Cake, and the only reason I'd even heard of them was because John McEntire produced Kaki King's "...Until We Felt Red" record, which is also incredible. I listened to the samples, and was immediately ready to buy this. It starts off strong and grows on you with each listen.

***UPDATE: Two weeks into this record, and it hasn't left my CD player once. I can definitely say that if you're into Sonic Youth, you will probably love the chunkiness of many of the guitar riffs and the grungy dissonance between the electric guitars throughout the CD.

After several listens, I believe the Sea and Cake have their own sound going, although I would say there are STRONG influences found in their music, only in very un-obvious ways. I hear Sonic Youth, Pink Floyd (especially #10 - if David Gilmour had penned this on his latest outing, it may have well become a radio hit, not that he wants a radio hit, but...) the Cure, Sufjan Stevens, Steely Dan, Flea-type basslines.... very cool. The music changes quite a bit throughout each song and throughout the whole album.

This music is perfect for road trips. I just took it to Santa Barbara for the weekend, and it was the perfect soundtrack to our travels.

I am SO GLAD I discovered this CD! One of the best of 2007.

It floats in and by before you know it. Tasty, smart, breezy set of tunes. No blasting--just airy, well-paced music. The vocalist wears on me, though. Very light, dry, breathy approach. Not actually singing--at least not in a full voice, but he's mostly the writer so there you go. The guitars are smooth, clean and creative. Nothing crunchy happens until Crossing Line. Middle Night has a Venture's style guitar intro. Exact To Me is bubbling with great changes in the middle. Left On has a bigger sound and stepped up pace. Sounds like a squealing guitar in there--that's more like it. Maybe my favorite on the album. There are also sophisticated electronics. I don't see how any modern bands can get along without them. I mean, forty years ago there were thousands upon thousands of songs held together by Hammond B3s and Moog. You might be tempted to call this fluff, but it's too artful. Repeated listens are the deal. Even if you are the only one in your crowd listening, this is cool and cruising.

I sat up and listened, immediately liking this release. It certainly pays off on The Sea And Cake's ability to seamlessly both rock and swing. There's just the right amount of dissonance underneath the propulsive grooves and guitar lines, which acknowledge a debt to West African polyrythm.

This was a very welcome listen, I'd hazard that The Sea And Cake is at the top of their game.

I am new to The Sea and Cake, having bought the CD based on a strong review on The Onion's AV Page. I like this band's sound a lot. No song really jumps out at you, but they are all good. Their sound is not radio-friendly, you'd probably find them on a "light jazz/easy listening" station if at all, but that does their music a disservice. Their sound fits a slow drive through the wine country, or a breezy afternoon on the patio while reading a good book. The music is gentle without being boring. They sound like nobody else, probably best described as a mellower Sonic Youth, with less dissonance and more melody, with a little Modern English mixed in, only with more emphasis on mood rather than beat. The lead vocalist, Sam Prekop, has a soft, mid to high octave voice that sounds somewhere between a '70s folk-rocker and a present-day EMO warbler. In short, everything about this band is balanced and multi-influenced in a way to make their sound unique, accomplished, and worth hearing. I recommend this CD for everyone.

This is the very first Sea and Cake album I ever bought which led me to buy the rest over the years, not to mention Sam Prekop's cd's. It's amazing that I accidentally found out about this band when a guy I worked with at camp had his ipod dock on while he was out and I heard the song "Lightning" and fell in love with this lovely, yet eccentric sound. I kept hitting replay and when I asked him who the band that was then I went out to buy the album which was so amazing. Evey song is unique, relaxed, patient, and is light jamming. The song transparent is probably my favorite song on the album, and one of the SAC's best songs ever in my opinion.

I learned an amazing thing about music when I listen to the Sea and cake: that you do not have to understand the lyrics of a song or the context of the song for it to be astonishing music. Clearly in most of Prekop's songs you don't know the words he's voicing and even when you do the songs make no sense(unless to perhaps Prekop and the SAC) which of course only make the band itself more interesting and alluring(not to mention the album cover album's artwork). It's just the sporadic interesting use of instruments and sounds in their that make their music diverse and versatile. Of course the calm, laid back voice of Prekop and the song's air of patience make the Sea and Cake so refreshing in an era of young pop culture loving loud, obnoxious, irritable music.

But it is odd I almost did not find out about this brilliant band and never would have. This band led me to find other great music that is phenomal from other the SAC band members or people who have worked with Prekop- Archer Prewitt and Jim O'Rourke to mention a few. But if you have never heard of the Sea and Cake before then you are missing out on mind blowing music that is truly beautiful and unique. And their instrumentals are amazing. As strange as it seems to say sometimes I feel I heard their music before in a prior lifetime. These guys I probably listen to most on my ipod.

On a sidenote also pick up the EP to this album called "Anybody" which has a few amazing tracks on it from the best unknown band in the world.

The NINTH album from these guys and its one of the best. It might be the best breezy, sunny afternoon pop album of the year. I listened to this one constantly over the summer.

The music on this thing is relatively simple indie rock / pop / alternative or whatever you want. A lighter Sonic Youth, as other reviews have said, works well although do not expect nearly as much noise.

It should also be mentioned that the drummer is totally awesome. Quoting a friend, "Oh yeah, they have the drummer from Tortoise, the less amazing of the the two."

This is definitely a great record and it will definitely be in my 2007 top ten. Hopefully they play out more!

In general this kind of cool wave is a great concept, and I like just about everything about the sound of this band, with the exception of the drums being a little too simple and "slappy", if that's even a word. Still, the instrumental lines are neat, a very satisfying jangling beat.

Unfortunately I fault the vocals, Prekop does not sing like he has any confidence in his lines, and therein lies the big problem with this record for me, the lack of compelling melodies at the heart of these songs. "Lightning" is a perfect example, a nice beat, good guitar lines, a cool little song. Now, listen to it and then whistle the vocal line for me - not the guitar phrases at the end, the vocals in the middle. Oops, I don't know if that's possible, because I'm not even sure there was a melody line. Notes, yes. Music? Not really. Just about every song is like that, but maybe the vocal lines on the pretty "Transparent" are the least miss.

It doesn't matter how well a song is constructed (several here are excellent) if it doesn't please the ears, and Prekop's lines make me wince. Sorry, sounds like there's a lot of true believers, but these guys are missing a piece, someone who can hum a little tune. I wanted to like this, but the CD is on the shelf unripped.

With straight-up guitars, lyrics that are easier to follow, songs that are bit more tightly focused, "Everybody" is a step away from the process-heavy sound of "One Bedroom" and more in line with earlier work. Overall, the songs are way too short for how good they are. I frequently listen to this disc twice in a row. Not the masterpiece that is "Fawn" but highly recommended.