The German power pop band, The Sealevel’s new album “Beach from last Summer” is alot like a McDonald’s happy meal. It’s colorful and the first few bites are very satisfying, however ultimately it isn’t that filling and leaves you hungry for a proper meal. It’s not like The Sealevel haven’t done a good job, it’s just that much of the album’s promise isn’t realized. The opening title track is a wonderful Beach Boys meets Sloan DIY styled track completed with a catchy “Do Ron Ron” chorus guaranteed to make you smile. “Drank the Summer” gets even better as an excellent Fountains of Wayne styled lazy rocker with a great hook. Some of the other tracks are very understated and generic like “High and Magic” and “Moon Changes.” A very German point of view on “Lingering On” mentions that “The Berlin Wall never came down…” and has some pretty insightful lyrics. Some songs are very close in style to Teenage Fanclub, like “The Way with You”,”Our Way to Rome” and the excellent closer “That Bad.” These tracks have a wonderful jangle and are highly enjoyable. However other than the title track the Beach Boys flourishes are not anywhere else and the latter part of the album attempts to become more “commercial” and thus very unimpressive. So if you are expecting a sunshine pop album here you’ll be dissapointed. On the other hand the story of the album cover is pretty interesting.
The Sealevel Website | MySpace | Not Lame | Kool Kat Musik