click here for a printable press kit [pdf]
"Brooklyn's Sea Ray soar, attack and inspire like birds of prey. The sextet's smart new sophomore album Stars at Noon is a gorgeous, bursting collection of rock songs that are delicate and careful but still forceful and manic ... enough to make even a daytime sky glitter."
- RollingStone.com, november 18, 03
++ link to the complete review
"Judging by their obvious talent, they'll be around for a long time. You should own this disc."
-Transworld Surf, april, 04
link to the album review
"... An inspired, fast-paced and experimental set... a perfect beginning to this year's [sxsw] music festival."
-XL (Austin, TX), march 18, 04
"Singer/guitarist Jordan Warner has focused lyrical themes and paints them vividly on each track. ... Although this is only the second proper Sea Ray album, the group has been in the game a long time, so perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise how polished Stars at Noon is."
-Pulse of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis), march 17, 04
link to the album review
"Sea Ray are one of those hard-to-classify indie-rock bands that all your friends should listen to - if only you could explain why."
-Flavorpill.net, march 31, 04
"With a cello circling through their pretty guitars and keyboards, they were sophisticated yet unpretentious."
-PopMatters.com, march 13, 04 (milwaukee, shank hall)
"Sea Ray rocked, but with a melodic component that made them the perfect match for the headliners. Their music itself is, like The Church's, hard to describe, but their distinctively captivating songs deserve a wider audience."
-concertlivewire.com, march 12, 04 (chicago, house of blues)
link to the show review
"Looking over my shoulder I noticed the crowd gathering, all sporting similar facial expressions: eyes wide, mouths open ... mesmerizing."
- HowWasTheShow.com, march 14, 04 (minneapolis, first ave)
link to the show review
"The first band we've seen here at the [sxsw] festival that brought an artistic element to the show ... very longing and wistful."
- Zane Lowe, BBC Radio 1 (London), march 18, 04
link to the audio stream
"Stars at Noon is smooth, deep, pretty, and extremely well-produced. Guitar, keyboard, and cello have rarely coexisted so well on a recording. Their music
is dense, sweet and catchy, reminding us of some of our favorite '80s and '90s new wave bands, but with a momentous sense of weight that belies their more modern influences. Lots of slow shoe-gazers, but they also know how to rock. Sea Ray's live show is a multimedia assault."
- Buffalo Beast (Buffalo, NY), march 10, 04
link to the show review
"There's a certain barefoot innocence about this New York sextet, a melancholy vulnerability that resonates through the wash of fuzzy guitars, string sections, and Jordan Warner's hypnotic Brit-pop voice."
- Minneapolis City Pages, march 14, 04
link to the show preview
VOICE CHOICE: "Sexy, slow-burning rock that is as pleasurably satisying as it is un-hip (that's a good thing)."
- Village Voice, february 25, 04
link to the show preview
LIVE: THE BEST OF THE REST: "The Brooklyn chamber-rock outfit undulates with gentle beauty and an often heartbreaking melancholy."
- Time Out NY, february 26, 04
link to the show preview
"Combining the fragile melodies and brainy styling of Yo La Tengo with the great wash of the shoegazing era, Sea Ray crafts symphonic pop epics."
- Magnet, february / march, 04
link to the review
"Sea Ray engage the listener in a world of nocturnal guitar, verdant strings and pseudo-British inflection ... this band knows how to write a damn good song."
- Devil in the Woods Magazine, winter, 04
link to the review
"Sea Ray has created a record that shimmers, sparkles, and downright revels in its own glorious shoegazing wash of sound. ... Sea Ray. Sea Ray rock. Good Sea Ray."
- Paste Magazine, february / march, 04
link to the review
"...Unlike the bands which continue to mine the shallow well of garage rock and post-punk for ideas, Sea Ray's music is dense, multi-instrumental, and adventurous..."
- NY Sun, january 27, 04
link to the show review
Show pick of the day: "Indie rockers Sea Ray add keyboards and cello to the rock-band formula to create an otherworldly psychedelic sound that sometimes lulls and sometimes crashes. Live, the band projects videos onto screens behind them during their show."
- NY Post, january 16, 04
link to the show preview
Top 20 of 2003: "Wish you listened to Radiohead before your kid sister? Here's your chance to get in on a band making a definitive mark in the clubs of NYC. Cinematic compositions layered with a haunting cello and of course, plenty of intimate vocals, make up Brooklyn's Sea Ray. The harrowing, "Swear To Your Face" moves through you like a revealing confession."
- Glide Magazine, december 18, 03
link to the complete list
"Song of the Year: Revelry", "Cellist of the year: Anne Brewster (tie w/ Rasputina)"
- Jenyk.com, december 03
link to the complete list
Top Picks of 2003: "As haunting as it is poetic, it would be borderline insulting to refer to these guys as just a pop group ... not for the faint of heart."
- culturedose.net, january 03, 04
link to the complete list
"Instead of trying to reinvent the three-chord wheel, the group chooses to augment its shimmering chamber-rock with a cluster of classical instruments and sprawling, multilayered production. Judging by the sound of Stars at Noon, they've chosen wisely ... The record's nine tracks are less stand-alone songs than one snaking soundscape, a continuous flow of reverb and ruminative texture."
- Time Out NY, december 18, 03
link to the complete review
"A hazy warmth and blossoming hopefulness gives this record a chameleon-like quality, strengthening its hold on you with every new listen ... it won't be long until they're a household name."
- The Paper (Champaign, IL), january 04
link to the complete review
"Beautiful, spacey and haunting but all the while powerful and substantially satisfying. Fans of Juno and Minus the Bear will dig this. "
- UsedWigs.com, december 03
link to the review
"Sea Ray serve up delightful tunes."
- SponicZine.com, december 03
link to the complete review
"... the perfect anecdote for a cold winter night."
- Junkmedia.org, january 04
link to the complete review
"Sea Ray will likely draw more than a few Radiohead comparisons ... however, those cold English gentlemen could learn something from the warm chamber pop pillow that is Stars at Noon."
- All Music Guide, december 03
link to the complete review
"Astonishingly poetic and lucid, Stars at Noon may be one of the year's most accomplished records..."
- Delusions of Adequacy, december 16, 03
link to the complete review
"Sweet and beautiful pop ... you'll be left wanting more."
- ConcertAndCo.com (France), december 03
link to the complete review
"The songs are solid and moving and there are nice shifts in the mood. It's steady in where it's going and that can be just right at times."
- The Big Takeover, december 03 (issue 53)
"They deliver soothing and often bittersweet melodies without a hint of pretension. ... Stars At Noon is proof that Sea Ray has fashioned itself as a band to look out for."
- Indie Workshop, december 03, 03
link to the complete review
"Genius."
- StartToday (Japan), december, 03
link to the complete review
"Sea Ray is an absolutely stunning sextet who puts a spin on the pop genre that will absolutely turn the entire genre upside down. ... The sound will sweep right through you, and leave its melodies lingering in your head for days to come."
- Culturedose.net, november 27, 03
link to the complete review
"Sea Ray write the kind of songs that threaten to save your life, while at the same time prompting your heartstrings to concede defeat ... an extraordinarily cinematic, ingeniously arranged album of wrought emotion, teary-eyed moments, orchestral maelstroms, long goodbyes, heart-slaying songcraft, rippling guitars and long-forgotten memories, curiously compressed into a nine-strong bout of song-centric wonderment that you won't ever want to end."
- Splendid, november 24, 03
link to the complete review
"Sea Ray's debut is a splendid, beautiful, and triumphant piece of work."
- The Leader (Milwaukee), november 11, 03
link to the complete review
"Sea Ray puts on a show to be seen. New York City has given us the goods before, and again, tonight, they will deliver."
- PittsburghPulp.com, november 20, 03
link to the show preview
"This Brooklyn band debuts with a fully-realized album of moody, atmospheric rock featuring uniformly powerful songs suffused in melancholy. The production's flat-out gorgeous - basic rock instrumentation is elegantly fleshed out with cello and keyboards for a dreamy chamber-rock sound."
- KEXP.org (Seattle), october, 03
link to the review
"New album from this NY 6 piece pop band!! Should not be missed by Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev fans. A magical and dreamy piece. They've been hidden in the enourmous NY, but are finally appearing, and the talent of this amazing band should be proudly displayed to the public more! In emotion rich melody, the exquisite band ensemble colors the whole sound. It's an elevating, magical and dreamy pop album. A must have. You won't be disappointed ... THE POP ALBUM MASTERPIECE!"
- Syft Records (Osaka, Japan), october 21, 03
link to the review
"A soft relaxing sound that's pleasant running with a mild melody. Top quality indie rock!"
- lightninghead zine (Tokyo, Japan), october, 03
link to the review
MP3 of the day - "Quiver"
- Stop The Noise Zine (Netherlands), november 5, 03
link to the site
"I've known for a long time that as soon as the first Sea Ray full length came out, it was going to be amazing. And well I was right. Sea Ray's music never disappoints... each song is a masterpiece in its own right ... I really have a hard time naming some of my favorites here. Just go get this album and check it out for yourself. It is by far one of the best albums of the year."
- Crashinin.com, october, 03
link to the review
"The new-wave Brit pop (with cello and warm undertones) brings you right back to St. Elmo's Fire and the catchiness of the eighties."
- The Brooklyn Rail, october, 03
link to the review
"Warm, hazy rock that builds & undulates into blissed-out, cinematic moments. Dreamy & patient like recent Yo La Tengo with occasional shoegaze-turns into Ride territory. Wash of guitar. Humming cello. Sparkling xylophones. Nice. Very nice."
- Insound.com
"... Local sextet Sea Ray should be soaring on the release of its debut full-length, Stars at Noon (Self-Starter), so don't be surprised if the band's thickly melodic indie pop is the night's highlight."
- Time Out NY, october 16, 03
(show preview, with Starlight Mints, Wheat)
"Anti-Hit List, Revelry: Music geeks will pick out fleeting hints of Joy Division, Yo La Tengo and half a dozen other quality bands over the 5:12 it takes for this New York six-piece to announce itself. By the end, however, you'll be left wondering how you could've thought they sounded like any of them."
- Eye Weekly (Toronto), october 9, 03
link to the review
"For six years, Sea Ray has been crafting their pop rock skills. It has culminated in an expertly performed album of shifting emotions, poppy tunes that melt into darker, sometimes psychedelic, songs."
- Impact Press (Orlando), october 11, 03
link to the review
"Easy-on-the-ears, dreamy pop for people who like Yo La Tengo and Spiritualized"
- New York Magazine, september 29, 03
link to the feature
"... Moments of heart-stopping melodic beauty"
- Time Out NY, september 03
"Debut album for a band that owes more to shoegazers My Bloody Valentine and the Beach Boys than to punk-funk. Cello and keyboards join rock instruments to make good songs full of melancholy joy. Watch them rise."
- The Face (UK), october 03
"Stars At Noon seeps in space-rock balladry bliss ... pop music with a cinematic elegance and a stargazing dreaminess. ... an album that is at once reflective, airy and stimulating, sparkling ... In having the vision to imagine Stars At Noon, Sea Ray invokes the chill of the night and the warmth of layered melody with each and every note."
- CMJ New Music Report, sept 1, 03
link to the review
"Brooklyn's Sea Ray is one of the better bands poised to rise out of the rock resurgence that people are calling New York's Next Wave. ... What the five guys and one gal have done for years is create brilliant, reflective indie pop."
- Chicago New City, august 5, 03
link to the feature
"Critics' Pick of the Day: Radar Bros. + Sea Ray, 7/20, Mercury Lounge. West Coasters Radar Bros. play a lush, hazy pop that raises a glass to the sluggish sleepers John Lennon brought to the last few Beatles records. ... Sea Ray's blossoming indie pop is a right choice to go before the Bros., and both groups should be just right for concluding a hectic weekend."
- Time Out NY, july 03
"Tipsheet Band Of The Week: Before my computer crashed, I was writing a huge paragraph on why you will love Sea Ray. It was all about how they have a sound that reminds me Ocean Rain era of Echo and the Bunnymen, yet has hints of Cursive and Interpol mixed in with the bands sound. I was going to tell you how they have been a band for five years in New York and have shared the stage with everyone from Clinic to Longwave and how Nick Harcourt has called them one of his favorite new bands. Then I was going to tell you how the band has managed to slip under the radar of just about every A&R guy out there. It was at that point my computer crashed for a fith time, so I went to bed. Listen to Sea Ray now!"
- TheScout.Net, june 03
link to the review
"Sea Ray is loooong overdue for being signed somewhere. this record is going to be a widely talked about release, I'm telling you, Sea Ray rules. And their live show is stunning. always with really cool projections behind them and with a band their size and as talented as they are, you'll be whisked off into holy-shit-this-band-is-amazing land."
- 4StarMotel.com, june 03
"The CD opens with a luscious track by Sea Ray, a literal sonic wall of smooth vocals, cellos and distorted guitars. It sets the mood perfectly ... They are the unsung heroes of the N.Y. scene"
- HarlemLive.org, june 03 (NY: The Next Wave compilation review)
link to the review
"... But the best act by far was Sea Ray, a beautiful array of cellos, xylophones, layered guitars and a crazy-as-fuck drummer. And all with colorful, trip-inducing film clips being projected behind them ... The set was a full, wonderful wall of sound."
- garagedream, june 03
"... shimmering guitar lines and a lush, billowy production not unlike NYC
faves, Luna"
- ArtRocker.com (UK), may 23, 03
link to the review
"It was like that scene in Amelie when she's looking back at the audience's faces in the movie theatre. Normally chatty NYC folks were utterly mesmerized ... 6 great musicians weaving songs in perfect harmony with a gorgeous picture show behind them would get most people to pay attention."
- Jenyk.com, may 03
link to the review
"... Sea Ray start playing beautifully crafted atmospheric chamber rock. They enchant us with their intense sound, video projections, and light show. Bridging influences from Ride, Yo Lo Tengo, and Sonic Youth, it's no wonder why they have been developing a good size fanbase."
- filter-mag.com, march 03
link to the review
"With the sweeping sounds of 80's shoe-gazer mixed with space rock and psychedelica, Sea Ray know how to build moody atmospherics certain to captivate. The sounds of a softly played cello and the blissful echo of guitars highlight this Brooklyn sextet's gorgeous arrangements. Most artists never make that perfect album that just mesmerizes you, and it seems odd that it only takes four songs for Sea Ray to take you to that place... a place you've never been to. The Revelry EP lulls you into a dreamscape, like if you somehow tapped into heaven with your headphones.
Sea Ray must be NY's biggest secret or why else wouldn't this band be signed? Learn the secret handshake, join the club and let the music open your heart and eyes." (4.5 / 5)
- DrownedInSound.com (UK), november 02
link to the review
"This is a very well-built pop record."
- Liability E-Zine (Paris), may 03
link to the review
"They attack in softness and I must say quickly I find that likable. Very good band. I am reassured."
- ConcertAndCo.com (Paris), may 03
link to the review
"In the sink or swim world of rock'n'roll, Sea Ray has managed to remain fiercely independent while gaining notoriety for their striking sound. The band's melodic, incredibly layered music is even reflective of who they are as individuals - exceptionally eclectic."
- 97X WOXY Sea Ray Profile (Cincinnati), 2002
check out the complete WOXY Sea Ray page here
A great new interview and Revelry review have been posted on the online zine The-Wood.org
check out the interview | review
october 02
"Pop act Sea Ray has been holed up and working on a new record, so fans of the band's tres indie melodies (not a bad thing) might catch a glimpse of the new songs [Oct. 3].
- Time Out NY, september 02
". . . especially strong, Sea and Cake influenced indie rock"
- WTUL - New Orleans, september 02
"Although they usually seem to be billed with bigger, more famous bands in larger, sold-out rooms, there are in fact lots of opportunities to check out the gorgeous, sometimes majestic melodies of the local Sea Ray. This time they play on the top of their own bill - in a final farewell to Brownies before the club becomes "another East Village bar." Sea Ray hits the stage to bid the club adieu along with guests Saturnine (featuring Mike Dinofrio of The New Year) and Team USA - two other bands not to be missed. (JG)"
- Flavorpill.net, july 02
link to the review
"NYC-based Sea Ray are one of those pleasant surprises you experience when stumbling upon an unsigned band. Sharing the stage with everyone from Yo La Tengo to Clinic to other local favorites Interpol and The Walkmen, Sea Ray have proven to be a gem in the current NYC rock scene. Sea Ray take their cue from classic psychedelica, '80s shoegazers, and space rock that creates a textured and dreamy sound, both catchy and honest. Peeps that have taken notice are Nic Harcourt who added 'Revelry' into regular rotation on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, and [London's] XFM who made them their Featured Unsigned Band in February. The time is now for more to start taking notice of this mystery from the depths of music."
- Cornerstone Player CD #34, july 02
"Sea Ray - 'Revelry' - Self released (yes labels that means you haven't missed the boat yet)
Simply brilliant. Been waiting for a band like this for a while. Thank god Beer Alex pulled me away from a night of free beer to see this
9:00 Friday night show at Brownies. As soon as you hear the lead song "Revelry" your eyes widen and your heart opens up. Still can't believe how good this EP is. I can't help but hear hints of Echo and The Bunnymen tinged with some shoegazing aspects. This crew just arrived on the scene and have already been playing amazing sets at Brownies, Mercury Lounge, Knitting Factory, and Bowery Ballroom. Why aren't they signed yet? A&R guys too slow or just hibernating?"
- Crashinin.com, june 02
link to the review
"... And the opportunity to hear the sweeping sounds of Sea Ray, a secret that's quickly getting out, is just one more reason to not miss this show."
- Flavorpill.net, may 02
"Local pop sextet Sea Ray ably builds up its sound with well-played cello and keyboards. The group's self-titled, self-released EP should make traditional indie-pop fans smile."
- Time Out New York, may 02
"It's a pleasure to hear self-released material this polished. These Brooklynites rock with chamber-pop elegance, judiciously draping their dreamy post-shoegazer pop songs with the restrained, beautiful sighs of a well-played cello. Make no mistake, though -- while vocalist Jordan Warner sounds like a less-effete version of Kitchens of Distinction vocalist Patrick Fitzgerald, the group isn't a pack of whiny wusses. They can rock out when the spirit moves them, as the final minutes of "Stray Dog's Got It Made" prove, but their rocking side seems like a secret identity that only comes out at live performances. No worries; Revelry offers a wealth of refined pleasures. The title track is a little like early New Order with strings, combining lighthearted keyboard drone, a gently insistent bass line, gentle cello accents on the chorus and Warner's compelling vocals, creating a blurry, Sunday morning type of sonic bliss -- it's the sort of song that makes hearts soar. The syncopated "Nicholas Ray" borrows its up-down rhythm and twinkly melody from The Chills, but the band lives up to the comparison, delivering a relaxed but satisfying performance. "Forge Utopia" pours Sea Ray's psychedelic leanings into a lazy, sprawling ballad that's best listened to while lying on your back in a grassy field, and the aforementioned "Stray Dog's Got It Made", a modest epic at six minutes, brings it all home in a hail of fuzzy feedback, wailing cello and growling guitar feedback. Songs like this can easily expand to twenty minutes during a live performance and still not be long enough for the audience's tastes, providing one of those blissful end-of-set moments when all the instruments align and you hope the sound never ends. In short, this is one damn fine EP. It sets some very high expectations for the band's live show, but I have a feeling they won't disappoint me when they finally make it to Chicago.
Indie labels, if you're reading this, let me stress the important bit again: Sea Ray are unsigned. They have no label. You should do something about that. --"
- Splendid, may 02
link to the review
"Sea Ray is a local band whose new EP, Revelry, takes a mini-journey to spacey chamber-rock climes. The band will play an acoustic set [with The Church]."
- The Onion, april 02
". . . We arrived just in time to catch the last few songs from Sea Ray -- the third time we've caught the tail end of their set. They have improved with each viewing, both in their musical forays and their show's complexity (this time, they had a Pink Floyd-style movie screen behind them). The band plays solid, introspective music, often supported by a cello. ... As they left the stage, we promised ourselves once again that we would definitely catch their entire set next time (and hey, Sea Ray, if you read this, why not send us a CD?)"
- Splendid, november 01
"Indie-rockers Sea Ray have been slowly winning over New York music fans with their epic brand of psychedelic mod-pop. The group draws on the influence of bands like Spiritualized, The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground and The Pixies, providing listeners with cleverly arranged, texturally-captivating songs. As any fan will attest, their affinity for taking the structure of a three-minute pop ditty and turning it into an extended psychedelic experiment can produce remarkable results."
- Digitalcity.com, april 01
"Ranging from the slow and dreamy to stripped-down, Velvets-inspired rockers, Brooklyn quintet Sea Ray twists pop standards to meet their needs. Tobin Sprout recorded their demo, and the songs offer an intelligent if scattered take on the type of post-VU East Coast pop made great by Yo La Tengo and the Feelies."
- Austin Chronicle, march 2000
"Sea Ray like to develop a good groove and ride it out with their sounds, something I like a lot in bands. The singer reminded me of Bedhead, with his quiet monotone way of singing. Very complementary to what was about to come...Yo La Tengo"
- Ink 19, june 99
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