Rock has come roaring back in recent years, and it's now de rigueur for critics to hear most music through a '70s prism. Thus
the Silver Seas (formerly the Bees) have found themselves tagged as soft rock and mentioned rather bizarrely in the same sentence as many of that genre's singer/songwriter heroes. In truth, though, the prior decade seems to be where the group draw much of their inspiration. Their harmonies, for instance, oft times echo
the Beach Boys, particularly on the lavish "We'll Go Walking" and the bouncy "Hard Luck Tom," although "Ms. November" is the best girl group-styled song ever sung by boys. And then there are
Daniel Tashian's marvelous guitars, which shimmer, shine, and jangle, a sublime blend of
Big Star and
Byrds, especially notable on the brilliant pop of "Imaginary Girl." On the rumbling "Catch Yer Own Train,"
Tashian shifts into western style, while the harmonies and a wailing harmonica pay homage to the British Invasion. The rhythm section of standup bassist
John Deaderick and drummer David Gehrke tint the set with an R&B brush, a style that keyboardist
Jason Lehning often emphasizes, particularly on the dreamy "Taitville" and the boisterous "The Country Life." However, he's equally at home purveying elegant champagne piano, best heard on the shadowed "She Is Gone" and "Dream of Love," the latter counterpointed by
Tashian's laid-back strumming guitar. But even
Lehning's most extravagant work is downplayed by his phenomenal production, which beautifully burnishes all the instruments, then artfully places them in a warm and glowing amber setting. This is pop as it never really was, gentle, but glorious, lavish, but never glossy, a set filled with fabulous arrangement and instantly memorable melodies -- variously clap-along, joyous, luxurious, or musing. A stunning achievement. ~ Jo-Ann Greene