January started off the year nicely with New Zealand’s The Ruby Suns release of Sea Lion, their second LP, on Sub Pop. The album is a dreamy mix of acoustic driven indie pop anthems and intimate folksy pieces. “Tane Mahuta” is undeniably catchy with its choir vocals and upbeat rhythms while “Kenya Dig It?” sounds like a glossy mix between Grizzly Bear, Beach House and Caribou track with its atmospheric dancing flutes, floating keys and punching bassline. The impossible-to-not-like “Oh, Mojave” is a thumping folksy romp reminiscent of something from Animal Collective’s Sung Tongs. Sea Lion is a delightful trip that creates an amazing atmosphere and is surely not an album to be missed in 2008.

mp3: “Oh, Mojave”
mp3: “Kenya Dig It?”