Beach Sloth

Seamonster – Balderassi 7.2

                Twee and electronic go so well together. Seamonster understands. ‘Balderassi’ is the sound of a sea monster but not a scary one. Imagine more a ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ who lives by the sea and you’re halfway there. Here every song is pure sensitivity. Melodies are sunlit and warm. Every song is just another hug wrapping around your eardrums. Slowly but surely these things melt into one’s mind. Cuteness of this level is contagious. You will succumb to it. This is not as much a promise as it is a guarantee. Additional remixes at the end only reinforce this sweetness. 

                ‘Noa Noa’ offers an example of what is to come: a skeletal outline of a song filled out with a voice. It is a minimal approach. The style works though when paired with the vocals, which has the same direct, unadorned quality. ‘Rain or Snow’ discusses the weather. Subject matter is irrelevant as the description is what makes it endearing. ‘Parasol’ is essentially nothing but a synthesizer as even the guitar is barely present. ‘Georgia 1931’ comes across as particularly memorable out of the original pieces. The album ends with the heartfelt ‘Howard Finster, Man of Visions’ where he sounds close to Chris Weisman in terms of sincere weirdness. 

                Remixes finish off the album. These contain the grain of sweetness that infected the original pieces. For the most part the major difference is the slight emphasis on a more beat driven sound. Still these remixes are more in the ‘chillwave remix’ vein versus anything outright dance-able. Seamonster is able to maintain its focus on the sweet and dream-like throughout the album.