The Sea and Cake – Any Day

Consistency and prolificacy are characteristics in modern music that are simultaneously undervalued and dangerous; the pleasant steadiness of good releases by your favourite band is counteracted by the constant, numbing churn of the latest shiningly packaged industry conveyor belt product.

Those two descriptors may not necessarily be the most flattering, but they can both be aimed at The Sea and Cake. Any Day is their eleventh album over the course of their 20-plus year existence, and you can almost always expect their signature bright, mannered sound. However, two things make Any Day stand out – it’s their first work recorded as a trio after the departure of bassist Eric Claridge, and it comes after the longest gap between releases since a mid-2000s hiatus.

Luckily for fans they've fallen right back into their familiar, but never less than impressive, rhythm. Opener Cover the Mountain comes in all rushed and percussion-led but, never ones to really let loose, the title track brings us back to that plaintive, relaxed tone that’s so recognisable throughout their discography, and has been much mimicked by sunny modern acts like Real Estate.

Eschewing electronic production flourishes in favour of some analogue authenticity, Any Day eventually settles into its groove. The melodies are intricate and layered, but the impressive musicality is outweighed by a lack of urgency. Despite this, just when you think the mood is about to peter out, the album’s centrepiece Starling slaps you out of a daze and yanks you away with a driving beat. Moments like this make you wish The Sea and Cake would refuse to smooth down their edges so much.

Listen to: Cover the Mountain, Starling, These Falling Arms