The Sea and Cake
Runner
(Thrill Jockey)

The escapist indie, sometimes art rock, sound that emanates from The Sea and Cake continues on their newest album, Runner. Easy harmonic delayed effects of guitar, shadowy plights of bass and some pretty brilliant drums work beautifully together to create a sonic Polaroid picture of emotion, at times romantic, overly contemplative and yet thrilling. “A Mere” begins with a sunny bluesy acoustic guitar riff that builds into a funky tempo shift while lead singer Sam Prekop sounds as new as an early morning and as charismatic as a con artist, but definitely not a harmful swindler. Keyboards sound razor sharp at the beginning of “The Invitations,” a slow building wonderment that moves like a thick fog and when the rhythm section kicks in, all hope is perfectly lost. “Harbor Bridges” is simply driven by breezy vocals and acoustic guitar and still summons greatness. The boundless dimensions of Runner feel young and inspirational. The Sea and Cake are based out of Chicago and have continued to create a quiet rebel sound in masterful musical composition since their first album, The Fawn, was released in 1994.