Lake

Giving props to Seuss in your album title is a sure way of letting the world know that it’s in for some serious cute. Lake deliver the sweet in candy-coated spades on their third release, and first on K. Lest you fear over-stimulated pixies shaking tambourines, be reassured: Lake have their wits about them and temper their enthusiasm with mad horn skills and Nuggets-worthy psychedelic charm. It’s not so much Beat Happening (though there are freckles of) but Marine Girls, pared down Stereolab and a dash of Belle and Sebastian that haunt their musical history. With helpful mentoring and assistance from folks like Karl Blau and Adrian Orange, the band’s already large roster has swollen in a non-painful manner. The crew’s democratic policy for vocal duties keeps things minty fresh too. If the swee-dee-dee of "On the Swing” doesn’t charm you then surely Eli Moore’s request for "Kingdom Come/Get ‘er done?” on "Heaven” will.