Sean Bones gets reggae with 'Rings'

Although primarily known as a member of psych-pop band Sam Champion, Sean Sullivan is carving out his own path now under his performing moniker, Sean Bones. His debut album, Rings, was just released last week, a decided departure from his work with his full-time gig. The record is full of white-boy funk and reggae more related to G. Love or even Bob Marley at times, and Sullivan does well in providing a genuinely fun 39 minutes with some exceptional moments scattered throughout.

First single "Dancehall" should provide an excellent idea of the record's style, a dense, organ-heavy tune riding a bouncy, upbeat drum riff with some slick electric guitar solos thrown in for good measure. It can be downloaded through Pitchfork (link below) or you can see the music video if you haven't checked it out yet. Elsewhere on Rings, especially earlier in the proceedings, the music is lighter and more relaxed and the results are mostly great. Opener "Easy Street" is a solid reggae-pop tune, "Coco" is playful and lighthearted, and "Sugar In My Spoon" is enjoyably slinky. Though occasionally the songs don't differentiate themselves much from Sullivan's standard formula, the musicianship is solid and the album is consistently entertaining.

Visit Sean Bones on MySpace to hear more from this fun-loving side project and make sure you check out the goodies below:



Dancehall (MP3 via Pitchfork)