Sea Lions - Grown Up

Sea Lions - Grown Up by Slumberland Records

Don't say I never give you anything for free. Available for download here is this charming little record by Sea Lions, taken from their forthcoming album (released 22 November) Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sea Lions, But Were Afraid To Ask. The link will also provide you with Everything You Always Wanted To Ask About The Band Sea Lions But Up To This Point You Weren't Aware Of Them So In Fact Everything, In The Context of Sea Lions, Is a Concept That Is Only A Few Minuets Old But Now You Want To Know Everything Anyway.

In the necessarily positive notes written by their label Slumberland Records, they describe the Sea Lions sound as being successful in it's ability to encapsulate the nature of youth, 'bored, underemployed and wishing your life was something else.' On this I'm inclined to agree with them, although I would refine the description to the successful depiction of small town, seaside-rural youth. The Beach Boys-esq vocals gives this track a real sense of coastal space and the jangling guitars that compliment those voices so perfectly, evoke that feeling of restlessness, even helplessness, that youth living in such a cut off yet wind swept environment must experience.

With tedium often a perfect excuse for substance abuse this track is like the cool, leather jacket, cigarettes and eyeliner Lou Reed coming to town and introducing Brian Wilson to crack cocaine; who inevitably loves the escapism it provides. Whilst it still retains it's surfer, seaside body their is now a real sense of urgency in the understanding of self, an understanding that this frustration is a result of the environment. This is most epitomised in the narcotic induced drawling of our protagonist. I really do hope the whole album carries on this theme like a cracked -up Pet Sounds.