December 1, 2012

19. Runner / The Sea and the Cake


Runner

Chicago's veteran post-rock musicians, The Sea and Cake, somehow just keep getting smoother.  Helmed by Sam Prekop's lush and unhurried vocals, tenth album Runner is the band at its comfortable best.  Trading in some guitars for even more synths, these guys are finding subtle but ever-welcoming ways to dazzle.

The band rarely strays from its seemingly effortless formula: precision guitars + smooth rhythm + Prekop's delivery = brainy pop escapism.  On Runner, the songs are constructed with such a cool restraint, the record is more of a paean to tone and efficiency than to any overzealous sense of songcraft.  The band's cult-like staying power has been strengthened by its devotion to always-pleasing intracacies that sound so unforced.  These talented musicians do not yell for attention, but they know how to make seriously fine indie pop records.

Highlights include album opener "On and On," breezy single "Harps," and light-as-a-feather "A Mere."  The rest of the songs on Runner follow suit--smooth, immersive, and easy on the ears.

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