Sean Bones
Here Now 7"
S/S Friends [2012]
As someone who has always judged the proverbial book by its cover, what exactly can I expect from a band/artist called Sean Bones? Weed-centric post-reggae jams? An awkwardly modern Bobby 'Boris' Pickett? As phenomenal as those may sound, it would appear that Mr. Bones is firmly entrenched in the kind of indie pop that is inescapable these days. "Here Now", the A-side of this makeshift 45, is an infectious and charming piano-driven ditty that I could easily see over the closing credits of a better-than-average rom-com. The shimmery production and laid back delivery recall early Brendan Benson or something off The Thrills' Teenager album. "Hit Me Up", the cringe-inducingly titled B-side, isn't quite as fun as its counterpart, but works in its own way. It's rather (dare I say...) tropical and could those actually be steel drums I hear? The plucky reverb and relaxed vibe conjure a driving-with-windows-down feeling, which is useless to overanalyze. What really sold me on this record was the mysteriously DIY packaging: a plain cardboard sleeve with pasted artwork, and "49/100" scrawled on the back cover. My musical history is riddled with classics that blend the DIY aesthetic/ethos with unapologetic pop, and seeing as how that term has been dragged through the mud for decades now, it's always exciting to find something like this. There was a special effort to put into this release, and not get overly sentimental, but there's something to be said for that. Of course, if the music was garbage nothing else would matter, but this happens to be a solid little record and you could do a lot worse than to grab one of the other 99 copies floating around out there.
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