I can't say that I know what the sound of one hand clapping is, but two hands clapping in the midst of bubbly indie-pop sure sounds like confectioner's joy. Such is the case of Lake's “Blue Ocean Blue” off of their new album, Oh, the Places We'll Go. It has been the perfect song to go along with this perfect summer day that shines upon me as I write this. The big blue sky stretches out before me, the bright yellow smiles down while a gentle breeze cools me down creating the most perfect of times. Lake are making the soundtrack and they fit in perfectly with this the most perfect of days.
Lake hail from Washington and are benefiting greatly from the powers of the Internet and Myspace. What a great time to start up a band. With the ability to upload singles and albums to places like Myspace, mp3 blogs, and the like there has never been a time in which new bands could be heard around the world with such elasticity. Truly without the Internet I wouldn't be listening to Lake, nor would I be able to write about it and be read.
Lake certainly don't fit the current mold of radio-friendly pop stars and yet their little shiny ditties deserve to be heard. The best numbers off of Oh, the Places We'll Go contain large doses of '60s-influenced sugar-pop laced with current dance floor stylings. The title cut (with Dr. Seuss-inspired lyrics) starts the album with a psychedelic-disco groove and a happiness is sure to get your feet tapping.
In places things get a little too electronic and the music suffers for it. On “Counting” for example the music is so muddled by a lame synth line and too-heavy bass notes that not even the chorus of “uh-ah-ahs” can save.
But for the most part the album is a bright sunny day and on tracks like “Heaven” with its jangly guitar and every-body-sings-along chorus I want to do nothing but get in the car, roll down the windows, and join in.
For more information and sample tracks see the bands Myspace page.
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