They got everyone at sunshine, and there is a lot of it in their songs. Their moniker breathes beach, surf and sun and their sound just materialized this same carefree summery feeling.
A, B, & The Sea were playing at the Satellite just before JJAMZ on Monday night, and their happy bouncy rhythms made people dance and smile during their whole set. There even was a guy in front of me, who must have been in his early 60s and who was dancing his heart out, wow, he jumped non-stop like a crazy hipster.
It’s true that the San Francisco quintet has some damn catchy foot-tapping sunny songs, like ‘California Feeling’ which would make any east-coaster move in a flash to the sunshine state.
Koley O'Brien’s clear and youthful vocals combined with their poppy arrangements had a sure dopamine-effect on the crowd, while many of their songs during their dynamic set had some of this typical indie-retro feeling, with a sort of Fleetwood-Mac-meets-MGMT, some crazy idea that went through my mind when they sang ‘In the Sunshine’. They had great Beach Boys-y three-voices harmonies, sweet Beatles-que melodies, some poppy explosive riffs, à la Saint Motel if I dare the comparison with another indie band, and bouncy-dancey hooks at each tune.
Koley O'Brien and Joe Spargur on guitars, Troy Lawton on drums, Ben Laatschon on bass and David Hunt on keys had a joyful presence on stage and plenty energy to give during their too short set, as if they were there to make everyone happier,… their debut LP is adequately entitled ‘Constant Vacation’, and a few tracks are interestingly produced by Modest Mouse/Grandaddy’s Jim Fairchild.
It’s funny because I read that they are in fact from Wisconsin, but moved to California just a few years ago,… so all these sunny choruses are totally deliberate, they went looking for the sun, the beach and Brian Wilson.