The Sea and Cake

As Pitchfork once said of the group Silkworm, consistency without spectacle can make for a tough sell. This axiom also applies to the Sea and Cake, but it has been mitigated somewhat by the act's danceability, which came to a head on 2000's Oui and 2003's One Bedroom.

Having apparently gone as far as it cared to in that direction, however, the trio of singer-guitarist Sam Prekop, bassist Eric Claridge, and guitarist Archer Prewitt returns after a three-year hiatus with Everybody, a pleasurable addition to its legacy of reliable indie rock. It's tempting to call Everybody a simple, direct rock record. But in truth, the Sea and Cake is never simple or direct. Everybody is as thoughtful and complex, as pleasingly easy to move to, and as subtly rewarding as anything from this band. It has many moments of unassuming ingenuity. Highlights include the trio's nimble island-music interplay on "Exact to Me," the quietly driving buildup that closes "Introducing," and the krautrock echo in "Left On." This is just another hype-free, no-bullshit Sea and Cake album.