Meet Cristobal and the Sea, a quartet whose influences are imbued with the countries they were each born in and beyond. Alejandro ‘Ale’ Romero (bass, vocals, Spain), João Seixas (guitar, vocals, Portugual), Leïla Seguin (flute, vocals, Corsica/France), and Joshua Oldershaw (drums, UK) first met at college in Loughborough, England, a university from which we can confidently say no decent bands have ever emerged from—such is the sports-heavy bent of its alum. So congrats to Cristobal for being the first.The quartet became fast friends, but it wasn't till relocating to London that the music they were jamming really began to coalesce into the magical melodic compositions we have today. Songs like "Fisheye" combine a highlife nimbleness with Animal Collective-meets-the-Beach-Boys harmonies. Elsewhere, "Legs Gone Feathers," with its winding flute, will find favor with fans of Fleet Foxes and Rodrigo Amarante alike. It's also a nice reminder that the flute is an underrated instrument and should not be relegated to renaissance fairs! Let's herald in the return of the flute! Listen to their debut album, Sugar Now, in full below.
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Sugar Now is out on City Slang on 10.2