Sea Pinks - Watercourse

We consume a lot of music here at WYMA World Headquarters.  Hell, we consume even more music than beer and pizza, and we consume so much beer and pizza that we are working on our beer budget for October -- October 2023, to be exact.  And what we are looking for is the magic that makes an indie band worth recommending over other indie bands.  The magic can be a specific attribute of a musical work or, more often, a combination of attributes.

Today's special magic is brought to us by the Northern Irish imagineers known as Sea Pinks.  The trio's sixth album, Watercourse, quite simply does what its predecessors have done, only better.  And that is transporting us to a special place where you hear the sea, feel the sun and wind, and celebrate being alive.  It isn't so much a time and place, although there are plenty of echoes of '80s and '90s guitar pop and hints of California rock.  The guitars jangle, chime, and crunch, while the propulsive rhythm section provides a solid backbone.   The lyrics are bittersweet, yearning, and searching, not so much offering answers as setting the stage for your own musings -- perhaps with some sly guiding. Fittingly for a band inspired by sea grass, the arrangements are relaxed, although by no means languid.  In fact, this may be the most forward of the Sea Pinks albums in memory, suggesting some Glasgow/Postcard Records and Dunedin in the DNA, but leavened with some surf and country rock touches.  The magic is the performances that only hint at influences and leave us with the impression that this is Sea Pinks music, and nothing else.  And we think it is the perfect soundtrack for whatever action you have planned for summer days.

Sea Pinks are Neil Brogan (guitar/vocals), Steven Henry (bass), and Davey Agnew (drums).  Watercourse is out Friday, May 26 via CF Records.  See the Bandcamp link below for details.  May and June tour dates for the British Isles and Europe are listed below.





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Tour Dates: 25 May - Rosin Dubh, Galway 26 May - The Grand Social, Dublin 29 May - Bush Hall, London 31 May - Supersonic, Paris 1 Jun - Bar Hic, Rennes 2 Jun - DIY Cafe, Lille 3 Jun - De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam 4 Jun - Coin Aux Etoiles, Mons 5 Jun - Gruner Jager, Hamburg 6 Jun - Internet Explorer, Berlin 7 Jun - Kunstkeller, Furth 8 Jun - Schuur, Lucerne 9 Jan - Hirscheneck, Basel 10 Jun - Le Salopard, Biel 11 Jun - Handmade Festival, Guastalla 17 Jun - Black Box, Belfast