Part: 2 : Ruby suns - sea lion (2008)
Ruby SunsSea LionRelease date: March 4, 2008Label: Sub PopTracklist1. "Blue Penguin" – 5:012. "Oh, Mojave" – 2:323. "Tane Mahuta" – 2:584. "There Are Birds" – 4:135. "It's Mwangi In Front Of Me" – 3:376. "Remember" – 4:427. "Ole Rinka" – 4:208. "This Adventure Tour" – 3:519. "Kenya Dig It?" – 4:1710. "Morning Sun" – 6:26Links:shareonall | [CENSORED]Pitchfork (8.3/10)The cover art for the Ruby Suns' sophomore disc, Sea Lion, is a fitting allegory for head Sun Ryan McPhun: A boy on an island takes pains to try to costume himself, tangling himself in lights and string, and wearing a feather in his hair and a crown on his head. McPhun's work as the Ruby Suns functions in much the same way: Stationed on New Zealand's North Island, the California native dresses his work in global music, nibbling at the edges of unfamiliar sounds but, ultimately, skillfully creating sunny psych-pop.Sea Lion likely will be pegged a great guitar-pop album, but it's more sonically! complex than that suggests. Intriguingly, some of its stylistic conceits-- the 4AD hum of "There Are Birds" or the New Order-via-Graceland second half of "Morning Sun"-- are found on both their most straightforward and best pop moments. Meanwhile, the unfortunately titled "It's Mwangi in Front of Me", and the even worse "Kenya Dig It?", provide the record its most abstract, collage-inspired moments. Sea Lion's one constant is its hard-charging positivity; even songs that begin with a slow drizzle ("Ole Rinka") or hesitant atmospherics ("Blue Penguin") end up as paeans to suns or birds or-- most traditionally-- love. Sea Lion's artwork, song titles, and McPhun's background all suggest something pan-global and yet the album shines brightest when it stays closest to its indie rock roots-- a reminder that despite their escapist charms, exploration and travel work best as an accent to the familiarity and comfort of home.
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