Echoing the halcyon days of indie pop, Seazoo add their own flair of originality on Joy

Recorded at Big Jelly Studios with the assistance of producer Mike Collins, following recent projects with Girl Ray and Pip Blom, Joy finds Seazoo picking-up where they left off on their Welsh Music Prize-nominated 2018 debut Trunks. In many respects, the last two years have proved particularly productive for the outfit; increasing exposure on BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music as well as support slots with IDLES, The Lovely Eggs and Circa Waves helping to secure their emerging talent status. Pairing endearing twee sensibility with fuzzy neo-psych songcraft, it’s easy to pinpoint elements in the five-piece’s sound that resonate with tastemakers.

A continued economy in their songwriting and a lack of pretension is immediately identifiable, frontman Ben Trow’s vocals gliding at a sauntering pace, aligned with a carefree yet commanding presence. In a similar vein to other Welsh luminaries such as Super Furry Animals, Seazoo hover between directness and waif-like escapism in a dichotomy that fuels a sense of intrigue and rustic charm. Joy is evidence of the band further committing to this formula, delivering the latter in copious amounts, sparkling with natural innocence without becoming lost in a sense of well-worn cliché.

Sporting David Byrne-esque energy, “Honey Bee” presents the band exercising their aptitude for tight, peppy numbers, while “Heading Out” similarly glistens in a sublime thread of keys and guitar hooks, in-part suggestive of They Might Be Giants’ frayed melodic approach. “We Return” adds further sheen, anchoring around a blistering Flaming Lips-indebted blend of pounding basslines and skew-whiff synth.

The Wrexham band equip themselves with a broadening palette on Joy - adding subtle, more intricately defined shades to their usual template, displaying vivid nods to nineties and early-noughties alternative acts in the process. Seazoo’s field of influence surfaces to a more significant extent, therein which lies the band’s appeal – harking to a golden age of indie pop, flaunting originality while avoiding the pitfalls of pastiche.