Sleep Whale

Halfway through 2009, Sleep Whale released a beguiling suite of songs on mini-LP Little Brite. Bruce Blay and Joel North subsequently added a couple of band members and also redoubled the joy, playfulness and confidence on this full-sized musical sunburst. Like their previous release, Houseboat showcases a canny interplay between the organic and digital elements, though the balance is tipped a little to the acoustic thanks to the propulsive live percussion that drives things along. Witness "Green Echo," which opens the album with clipped samples that are then engulfed by rolling drums in the Do Make Say Think style. Vocals pop up with greater frequency too, as on "We Were Dripping," which sounds like Sigur Rós re-imagined by Most Serene Republic. The greater duration and scope afford time to show subdued moments between puddle jumps, but it is still the rainbows from splashdown they are shooting for.