When singer/guitarist Kylee Swenson met fellow guitarist Earl Otsuka in their native San Francisco back in 1996, they formed a musical partnership that finally led to the formation of Loquat, as we know it, in 2001. When bassist Andrew Gordon, drummer Christopher Lautz, and later keyboard player Ryan Manley joined, it opened a whole new dimension and before long Loquat were gaining quite a reputation in the Bay Area. Their first album It’s Your To Keep (Jackpine Social Club Records, 2005) followed three successful E.P’s.
Loquat signed to Talking House Records and are now readying themselves for the release of their second album Secrets Of The Sea. Their sound is an impressive, intoxicating, and addictive. It's a mix of electric Bay, combined with a perfectly balanced, often understated lilting vibe that makes this album a joy to listen to. Apparently along the journey of making Secrets Of The Sea, Loquat had a few life experiences thrown at them but have emerged with a set of songs that explore life and all its twists and turns perfectly. It is Kylee, now married to the bass player Andrew, who writes the poetic lyrics. It is the band, of course, that transfers those feelings onto record and what they come up with is both highly effective and perfectly pitched as well as played in a gorgeous and relevant way.
Secrets Of The Sea is as misty as a San Francisco morning. It is dreamy, romantic, and yet, sometimes lyrically, it is surprisingly edgy. All the tracks are further lifted by the space afforded within them by the band never letting over production, or allowing over complication to crowd any of the musical quality. Knowing when not to play is a skill often overlooked and knowing what to play to allow the songs purpose to float off the disk is another. Loquat manage both producing some exquisite moments on a CD of all new material.
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