Worlds of Possibility

I saw Sea Lions as a full band on Saturday night. Write ups of their music on the internet seem to be scarce. This is likely only to do with the fact that they have yet to release their first single for the YAY! label. Once that happens, I expect to see much more. I'll be honest, I've never felt inclined to write much about the band before this weekend. I've always enjoyed what they did, and I always knew there was potential for something great, but I could never quite find the words to make their sound seem compelling to new listeners without resorting to the cliche of comparing them to a laundry list of other bands. Of course there are still comparisons to be made, you'll hear them, and you'll decide for yourself what they are. For me personally, I always felt that Sea Lions deserved far better than that. They were the first YAY! band that I had the occasion to witness a live show from after all. Last Saturday proved that I was absolutely right to hold out.

What I saw on Saturday night was a full band in the process of gelling as a cohesive unit. I arrived to what seemed like an endless set up period: the working out of technical difficulties concerning borrowed equipment, and the extended wait to see whether or not they would even be in possession of a guitar! When they finally began to play, I was greeted by a full blast of energetic fuzzy guitar pop. I also couldn't help but notice that Sea Lions masterminds Pat and Adrian have become quite good on their respective instruments. As I mentioned though, the full band itself is very much in the process of coming together as a cohesive unit. There was something so intriguing about watching that unfold in a live show. All of the thrill of watching a still somewhat shambling band, yet for-seeing the dynamic, unstoppable force that they are just on the verge of becoming.

Interestingly enough, my Google search for their Myspace page led me to this. The band that I saw on Saturday night, I would count in the great company of the new shamblers that were cited in that article - side note DO be sure to listen to Pens, trust me. I would really not be too surprised if the incarnation of Sea Lions that I saw on Saturday night eventually produced a single that could somewhat near (my personal favorite track to be mentioned in the article) "Truck, Train, Tractor."

You've seen the title of this blog, surely you must realize that my saying a band could potentially produce a single that nears the caliber of a classic Pastels track is the highest praise that I could ever give.




Listen to the track "Beautiful Day," on the YAY! label's Myspace page for some idea as to what I might be talking about.

Keep checking the label's Website for updates on when you will be able to purchase the band's first single.

Oh, and if you live in Southern California and are feeling adventurous this Saturday, drive to Oxnard in your pajamas! Details about this year's installment of the annual YAY! pajama party can be found here. Sea Lions are playing along with other such personal favorites as Catwalk, and the Tartans.