BY THE SEA

Words by Linsey Teggert

So we may be having the typical, miserable ‘British Summer’ with little promise of any sunshine, but a listen to the hazy sounds of By The Sea is the musical equivalent of a shot of Vitamin D straight into your veins. Although ‘dream-pop’ has become something of a loosely used term to describe any hipster band with a distortion pedal, with ‘Dream Waters’ Wirral six-piece By The Sea stick two fingers up to the pretenders and show us that ethereal, dreamy sounds are not old hat and can still be crafted to perfection. Recorded and mixed by Bill Ryder-Jones of The Coral, the track has an air of the mystical about it; it’s hazily strummed guitar rhythms and quietly skittering drums reminiscent of that wistful, disorientating sound that The Cure perfected.

The track starts out quietly and serenely with breathy vocals and a delicately chiming guitar before the tempo is upped and you are slowly engulfed in the haze of its gorgeous washed-out quality. It’s as light as a wisp of smoke but by no means insubstantial or forgettable – in fact it’s deceptively intoxicating with carefully layered textures. Forget the rubbish weather, whack this track on and be swept away to distant shores.

Today's tip comes courtesy of Phil Gwyn from Not Many Experts