THE ELECTED

Bury Me in My Rings

[Vagrant]

Five years after its sophomore album, Rilo Kiley co-founder Blake Sennett and his band the Elected are back with more simple, summery sounds. Sweet, tender songs and breezy slices of romanticism are perfectly suited for summer fare, requiring virtually no brainpower to absorb. Easily digestible melodies laced with Ric Ocasek-esque economy are Sennett’s stock-in-trade, and whether you’re lying in your hammock listening to the moonbeam tones of “Born to Love You,” the upbeat tempo of “Look at Me Now,” or the delicate strains of “Jailbird,” you’ll feel the warmth of the sun even if you aren’t working on your tan. Sennett’s vocals are humid and hazy, and even when he’s in a castigating, critical mood, as he is on “Go for the Throat,” the vibe is anything but antagonistic. This is pure pop for pool people. –Nick Krewen