This is a masterpiece of twee indi pop with a huge sound and an impressive pedigree. It’s an iconic but often overlooked classic from the 2009 Indi pop/folk/psych explosion. This record was produced by legendary musician and blog favorite Karl Blau at the infamous Dub Narcotic studios it’s a K Records classic- therefore LAKE is a certified PNW icon on its merit alone (though it’s far from their only great work.) I came into this album late but love it like I grew up with it.

Everything you’d want and more from a classic Indi pop banger circa 2009 is here. There’s intricate percussion, months of wall-of-sound revival in the production, elements of folk delivered more tastefully than some of LAKEs peers and elements of soul and funk delivered years earlier than many indi pop groups. It’s catchy, mysterious, humble and ambitious. Karl and co bring his signature flavor to the joint with dub informed production that has no regard for convention. It’s easy to enjoy but still extremely memorable.

I personally can’t think about this record without hearing about the track “Christmas Island,” repurposed as an iconic moment in soundtrack history for the legendary Adventure Time. So that track has a special place in my heart, though it’s the second to last song so I was well in love before even discovering this.

Fans of twee pop, Indi folk classics and 2000s neo psych shouldn’t miss this gem. The rest of the bands work is excellent as well and deserves a listen.