Rubies

It's funny how most know Rubies for "I Feel Electric." This Feist-enhanced mini-hit is arguably the weakest track on the Cali duo's debut full-length, Explode From the Center, which is much more about light and breezy R&B and folk-ish pop than the try hard, dance/jam tactics of "Electric." In fact, Simone Rubi and Terri Loewenthal's latest project is very much an extension of their previous one: Call & Response, a sort of sun baked Mamas & the Papas for the indie pop set. Sure, there are a few more electronic flourishes with Rubies but overall, these Californians are still all about maxin' and relaxin' to laidback pop jams, with mood running the show rather than hooks. And setting that chilled-out mood is quite the impressive list of guests, including the aforementioned Feist, the Concretes' Maria Eriksson and Eirik Glambek Bøe of Kings of Convenience. Explode From the Center doesn't stand up and grab you right away but it is a great soundtrack for lazy, hazy Sunday afternoons.