‘You’ll Be Fine’ by Oakland’s SEAL PARTY brings fine trumpets, soul and resilience
5 min read
One of the most dynamic developments in the indie music world (partially because there is nobody above artists who are calling the shots on their behalf) is the idea that a ‘band’ can actually be a free-flowing music collective, where participants come and go. Well yes, they nearly always surround one or two core musicians (unless we are talking about the Puerto Rican pop sensation Menudo, where all members were constantly changing). One quite interesting group that has come to our attention (this week actually) is called Seal Party
A genre-fluid art-rock collective (we could call it that for lack of a better category), the San Francisco Bay Area band present their latest single with a delightful calming and reflective video. ‘You’ll Be Fine’ is a stirring tale of resilience and tenacity, which are themes that are definitely worth exploring in these very difficult times, when not only monetary issues have risen to the surface for most households, but so too do moral issues and our priorities (as societies and individuals) are constantly being called into question.
The message here in this song is that, no matter what markets plummet and how currencies devalue and what logistical calamities clog up the supply chain, the human spirit endures. Premiered on the big screen at the Chabot Theater in northern California, the accompanying video features a party of two — a man and his trusty canine pal. Director Alex Largusa enrolled actor Michael Cahalan and his real-life dog (Moose Cahalan) to bring this story to the screen.
The album’s closing track, ‘You’ll Be Fine’ culminates in a jaw-dropping solo by trumpeter Rich Armstrong, who has toured and recorded with Spoon, Train, Thomas Dolby, Boz Scaggs, Josh Groban and Tony! Toni! Tone!, among many other top-shelf artists. San Francisco Symphony Orchestra cellist Evan Kahn also appears on this track, as well as multi-instrumentalist Liam Wesley Craddock.
There is a fantastic Herb Alpert feeling to roughly half of the track (the latter half) with the waltz-paced lead up delivering just the right amount of space and pensiveness for this wonderment to take its full course as of the trumpet’s standout appearance. This really is the icing on the cake. The video is also very sweet – a man and his dog is a timeless theme that has run through artworks, stories, songs for many decades now.. But the song’s message, in and of itself, it also noteworthy, topical and very timely.
Following up the singles ‘Maison’ featuring R&B organ wizard Chris Rob (Kanye West, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Anita Baker) and the soul-infused piano-based ‘Kaleka’, this is the latest offering from Seal Party’s debut album ‘MMXXII’. Recorded by Liam Wesley Craddock and Chris McGrew, the ‘MMXXII’ album was mixed by McGrew and Jaimeson Durr (Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Hope Sandoval).
“The idea for ‘You’ll Be Fine’ came from a hypothetical — what happens if everything collapses?,” says frontman Kevin Seal, who co-wrote the song with Seal Party’s Chris McGrew.
“What if our current economic system melts down? As horrifying as that idea may be, it is possible. It almost happened in 2008. If it all tumbles, we’ll be relying on our neighbors — our immediate neighbors — and finding our own food. We’ll be fishing, hunting, and canning. We’ll be bartering and swapping. And as idealistic as this sounds, I think people are both tougher and more cooperative than we are often told to believe. If this happens, you will actually be fine,” says Kevin Seal.
As a songwriting-production duo, Chris McGrew (drums/production) and Kevin Seal (keyboards/vocals) formed Seal Party after many years of helping other artists realize their visions. On their debut record, these studio veterans let their own voices come to the fore, revealing and beauty, both rock and groove. Epic melodies soar over tasty chords to tell their stories.
After years of being session musicians, quarantine culture finally gave McGrew and Seal access to an empty recording studio — namely Studio C of Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco (AKA Wally’s HydeOut), in the room of the former Wally Heider Studios, where artists ranging from the Dead Kennedys to the Grateful Dead to Herbie Hancock recorded some of their most legendary sides.
‘MMXXII’ is a meaningful and timeless collection, filled with improvisation. Every song on the album involves an array of world-class musicians. Evoking ‘70s soul, rock and R&B while maintaining a raw and exploratory approach, this eclectic work meshes unusual songwriting and musicianship that is at once playful and rebellious. Eclectic and beautiful, this album is continuous, expansive, engrossing. Stretching across genre boundaries, jazz luminaries and punk stalwarts join together to create a series of unique songs.
This record involves world-class horn players, violinists, organists and vocalists. An all-star cast of 22 collaborators includes music royalty like Isaiah Sharkey (D’Angelo, John Mayer, Patti LaBelle) and Keyon Harrold (D’Angelo, Maxwell), punk icon Larry Boothroyd (Jello Biafra, Victims Family), bassist Uriah Duffy (Whitesnake, Fantastic Negrito), Ben Misterka (Collectivity), saxophonist Kenneth Whalum (Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake), trumpeter Rich Armstrong (Spoon, Boz Scaggs, Thomas Dolby), guitarist Jonnie Axtell (Psychefunkapus, Dee Snider, Tone Loc) and saxophonist Daniel Casares (Atta Kid, Jazz Mafia, the New Mastersounds).
‘MMXXII” album is out now, available everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music,and Bandcamp..The digital version will be released via New Age Distribution and the CD released by X Racer Productions.
CREDITS
Chris McGrew – drums, percussion
Liam Wesley Craddock – bass, acoustic guitar
Rich Armstrong – trumpet
Evan Kahn – cello
Kevin Seal – vocals, Rhodes electric piano
Written & produced by Chris McGrew & Kevin Seal
Recorded by Liam Wesley Craddock & Chris McGrew
at Wally’s HydeOut in Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco
Mixed by Jaimeson Durr & Chris McGrew
Mastered by Justin Weis
‘MMXXII’ album cover artwork by Tony Calzaretta
Artist photos by Shealin Ritter and Maryzelle Ungo
Discover the sonic world of Seal Party
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