Two years after Seabreeze Diner debuted with the immensely catchy, retro-leaning jangles of the For Use With Care EP, the underrated Raleigh outfit finally has a full-length record on the way. Drawing from years of songwriting, Headline Act cashes in on that early promise, similarly bristling with unshakable hooks and scruffy harmonies across its eleven tracks.
Produced by Ghostt Bllonde’s Marc Kuzio and recorded in fits and spurts since just after last year’s Hopscotch Music Festival, the LP features the dynamic young quartet taking bolder risks with longer, more adventurous arrangements while still retaining the nervy riffs and triumphant melodies that were the hallmarks of Care’s charming guitar pop nuggets.
Seabreeze Diner is at its best when offering a fresh perspective on bits from rock ‘n’ roll’s past. Reminiscent of The Cars, singer/guitarist Chris Powers describes lead single “Hi-Strung” as “sort of an homage to seventies power pop and eighties indie—you know, ‘driving-fast-on-40-with-the-windows-down’ kind of music,” though he admits the lyricism belies the track’s summery feel. “The lyrics attempt to tackle how easy it is to project your own anxieties on to others and fail to recognize that’s what you’re doing,” explains Powers. “[It’s] a total disconnect from the music, but I like disconnects like that. They keep me on my toes.”
You can stream the track below, and if you like what you hear, you can preorder the record here. The band plays a release show at the Cat’s Cradle Back Room on Saturday, October 13 with Echo Courts, The Affectionates, and Blueberry, and tickets to that are on sale here.
