Recorded in 2015 then reissued on vinyl in 2019, Susan James’s ‘Sea Glass’ is a Californian peach of a record which hasn’t reached the audience it deserves. James teamed up with High Llama Sean O’Hagan to help with the musical vision and arrangements and together they produced an absolute gem of a record. Susan herself calls the style a “California hybrid of melodic psychedelic folk rock” and that’s spot on! From the opening track ‘Poseidon’s Daughter’ to ‘Hey Julianne’ we’re treated to some beautiful lilting melodies set against a subtle orchestrated backdrop that I’m sure Brian Wilson would be very happy with. Echoes of The Free Design, The Poppy Family, Laura Nyro and the Beach Boys abound throughout and the harmonies and instrumentation are reminiscent of late 60’s Californian sunshine pop. There’s a limited aquamarine coloured vinyl out there at the moment and I strongly urge you to track down a copy, you won’t be disappointed!