Plants & Animals - Kon Tiki

I know I have been all amped up on summer songs, so you are just going to have to deal with it. All of my summer mixes from years past have been top notch playlists and now I am starting to feel the pressure. Luckily this is a perfect track for a backyard bbq mix.

Plants and Animals just released an incredible sophomore album, La La Land, that was recorded in both their home base of Montreal and also in Paris. Using the two studios added a nice diversity to the album. I am new to this band but their debut album, Parc Avenue, gained them a lot of attention and a Juno award with their summery rock tunes and hits like "Bye, Bye, Bye". (An absolute must listen.) There are mixed reviews out there of their second album with one blogger saying the album feels as superficial as L.A. itself which I think is too harsh. It is music that sounds like it could have come from the 70s, maybe from a prog-rock band, but with a comfortable familiarity that lures you in with catchy tracks like "Tom Cruz" and "The Mama Papa". The aimless haziness of "Kon Tiki" is the track that caught my attention. It conjures images of lazily drifting down the South Platte river on a 100 degree day, enjoying whatever influences you might be under. Like the band says, La La Land is not about L.A. but about that state of mind. I think they nailed la la land mentality with "Kon Tiki" in a wonderful way.