Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Seacats "The 7" Burger" on Fin Records


The Seacats are apple pie, cherry tree's and ever waving plains. They seem to be playing with that romanticized idea of an America that's something of a vanishing reality...or maybe I've been watching too many Frontline documentaries about the vanishing middle class. But this Atari style burger graphic on the cover and their "Extra Point" single on Fin with the Baseball theme makes you a little nostalgic for the childhood days of not being worried about where your next single was coming from or where you were going to put them all.

The video for A-Side's "Firewood" is taking on more 'merica with a track that clicks in with metal snapping and bursts of chunky riffs in an odd signature that's perfect for the 'ba ba da ba's' from the rest of the band in frantic yelps. Mike is delivering his sarcastic apologies in Robert Pollard's matter of fact style. This is their valuable hunting knife in this blue collar setting. This character is oppressed by a lot I could relate to in my tiny town, the strip mall, deer hanging in the neighbors yard and no one to relate to. Seacats manage to craft their typical super pop with thousands of changes, and heavy handed production (this time by the great Steve Fisk) landing in the middle of catchy, gushing pop. It's got that spazzy, goofball feel that goes without saying in living this lifestyle of party pop. They let loose and happen to be disciplined in order to pull this complex track off.

For B-Side's "Lately" they serve up a jangly guitar and Josh takes on the vocal this side, which you'd only know by paying close attention to the menu on the reverse side of the sleeve as their delivery is practically identical. A super optimistic track reminding me of Apples in Stereo or The Lilys there's that similar gleaming fun time feel. Some crazy psych style running down the middle of this and Josh heads right towards falsetto every chance he gets. At the very end of this side you've got some classic bleeping arcade style 8 bit video game theme song and a sample of someone saying "Hotdog / Hotdog / h / hot / Hotdog" for the folks who are more dog inclined. They didn't forget you.


They even served burgers at their record release party.

Get it on beefy brown color vinyl with Fin's all out handnumbered packaging, an edition of 500.

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